Lesbians, bisexual women, and trans people (LBTs) in Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan,

VIOLENCE: THROUGH THE LENS OF LESBIANS, BISEXUAL WOMEN AND TRANS PEOPLE IN ASIA
the Philippines, and Sri Lanka experience discrimination and exclusion in their
communities and homes, at school, at work, and in public spaces. Legal protections
and policy frameworks to address these issues are either non-existent or grossly
inadequate. The result is preventable suffering and human rights violations.

This is the conclusion of field research undertaken by non-governmental

and grassroots organizations working directly with LBT populations in 5 Asian
countries, in collaboration with the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights
Commission (IGLHRC), and laid out in this report. Researchers interviewed LBT
individuals as well as human rights activists, state officials, and other stakeholders,
and through these testimonies painted a picture of systemic abuse and state-
sponsored or condoned hostility. The researchers were themselves part of the
target populations, and were able to add their own insights about exclusion and
resistance to the analysis.

While sustained emotional violence took its toll, the individuals interviewed for this
report showed great resilience and creativity, often banding together to transcend
discrimination.

IGLHRC and its partners call on governments in the region to recognize the human
rights and dignity of everyone, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender
identity or expression.

This research is presented as a resource for LGBT organizations, national human

rights institutions, government officials, and anyone who cares about equality and
human rights.

VIOLENCE:
INTERNATIONAL GAY AND LESBIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION
Through the Lens of Lesbians,
80, Maiden Lane
New York, NY 10038
USA Bisexual Women and Trans
T: +1-212- 430-6054
E: iglhrc@iglhrc.org
www.iglhrc.org • facebook.com/IGLHRC • @iglhrc People in Asia

Cover05072014RR.indd 2-3 5/7/14 10:18 PM

Cover05072014RR.indd 4-5 5/7/14 10:18 PM
 VIOLENCE
Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual
Women and Trans People in Asia

NEW YORK 2014

 THE INTERNATIONAL GAY AND LESBIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION
The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC), founded in 1990, is
a leading international human rights organization dedicated to improving the lives of people
who experience discrimination or abuse on the basis of their sexual orientation, gender iden-
tity or gender expression. It is dedicated to strengthening the capacity of LGBT human rights
movements worldwide to effectively conduct documentation of LGBT human rights violations
and engage in human rights advocacy with partners around the globe.

80, Maiden Lane, Suite 1505 • New York, NY 10038 USA

T: +1-212- 430-6054 • E: iglhrc@iglhrc.org
www.iglhrc.org • facebook.com/IGLHRC • @iglhrc

IGLHRC permits free reproduction of this publication, provided that due acknowledgment is given.
CONTE NTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I

RESEARCH PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . III

GLIMPSES OF LBT RESILIENCE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . V

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

UNITED NATIONS ON LGBT RIGHTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

CROSS COUNTRY ANALYSIS.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

RECOMMENDATIONS.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

APPENDIX A: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

APPENDIX B: COUNTRY CONTEXTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

APPENDIX C: CURRENT LAWS AFFECTING LBT PEOPLE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

JAPAN: “STRIVING FOR DIGNITY AND RESPECT”

.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

MALAYSIA: “ON THE RECORD”. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

PAKISTAN: “WHERE I CAN BE ME”. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141

PHILIPPINES: “KWENTONG BEBOT”.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161

SRI LANKA: “NOT GONNA TAKE IT LYING DOWN”. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195

PHOTO AND ARTWORK CREDITS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The research, writing, editing, and publication of this
report were very much the result of a team effort.
Overarching coordination of the project was provided
by Grace Poore, IGLHRC Regional Program Coordinator
for Asia and Pacific Islands, while Ging Cristobal, IGLHRC
Project Coordinator for Asia and Pacific Islands, provided
additional research coordination support.
Each country chapter was researched and written by
IGLHRC’s research partners:
In Japan, the research was coordinated by Azusa
Yamashita, under the auspices of Gay Japan News. The
Japan chapter was authored by Azusa Yamashita, Monique
Hanako Rose, Tomoko Ohtsuki, and Yukiko Hosomi.
The Malaysia research was coordinated through Knowl-
edge and Rights with Young People Through Safer Spaces
(KRYSS).
The regional overview was written by Grace Poore, and
edited by Marianne Møllmann, IGLHRC Director of
Programs, Roberta Sklar, IGLHRC Director of Communi-
cations, and Jessica Stern, IGLHRC Executive Director. We
thank Susana Fried, HIV and Health Adviser at the United
Nations Development Fund, and Svati P. Shah, Assistant
Professor, Department of Social and Cultural Analysis,
New York University, for their invaluable comments on the
draft. Kristen Thompson proofread final chapters.
An initial research framework and methodology were
developed by Bina Fernandez, while Strength in Numbers
helped with data analysis tools. The final research process
was designed by Grace Poore and Ging Cristobal.
Kathy Mills visually conceptualized, designed and laid out
the report.
We are grateful for the generous support from the Arcus
Foundation and the Global Fund for Women.

In Pakistan, the project was coordinated through O. In We are deeply indebted to our partners and to the many
both Malaysia and Pakistan, the research coordinators and courageous women and trans persons who shared their
authors asked to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals. testimonies and recommendations with us, and without
whom this project could never have moved forward.
The Philippines research was coordinated by Angie
Umbac, under the auspices of the Rainbow Rights Project.
The Philippines country chapter was authored by Oscar
Atadero, Angie Umbac, and Joy Cruz. Joy Cruz works with
the Society of Transsexual Women of the Philippines.

In Sri Lanka, the research was coordinated by Jayanthi

Kuru Utumpala, under the auspices of the Women’s
Support Group. The Sri Lanka chapter was authored by
Jayanthi Kuru Utumpala, Marini Fernando, and Shermal
Wijewardene.

ii VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
RESEARCH PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS
Organization for the Protection
and Propagation of the
Rights of Sexual Minorities
The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC),
founded in 1990, is a leading international human rights organization
dedicated to improving the lives of people who experience discrimination
or abuse on the basis of their sexual orientation, gender identity or gender
expression. It is dedicated to strengthening the capacity of the LGBT human
rights movements worldwide to effectively conduct documentation of LGBT
human rights violations, train activists to carry out evidence-based advocacy,
and engage in human rights advocacy with partners around the globe.
Gay Japan News was established in 2005. It advocates for LGBT rights,
translates LGBT-related news reports from around the world for Japanese LGBTI
people and allies, and submits shadow reports on LGBT human rights concerns
in Japan to United Nations treaty bodies. Current directors are Hiroshi Mochizuki
and Azusa Yamashita.
KRYSS is committed to ending discrimination and violence based on sexual
orientation and gender identity in Malaysia. It works primarily with young
people and those who are non-heteronormative. KRYSS carries out research,
training, documentation, litigation advocacy, and uses creative platforms to
advocate for non-discrimination and non-violence.
O was founded in Lahore, Pakistan in March 2009. It is dedicated to the empow
erment of sexual minorities, specifically LGBTQ people. O is committed to
resilience, knowledge-making and flourishing of queer communities, sexual
minorities and their families and friends, and dedicated to “work by our
community for our community.”
The Rainbow Rights Project (R-Rights) of the Philippines was established
in 2005. It is an LGBT legal advocacy organization, comprised of gay and
lesbian lawyers and gender activists. It uses policy research and analysis to
advocate for legislative and legal reform, and educates the LGBT community
and state institutions about LGBT rights under state law.
Women’s Support Group (WSG) was established in 1999, and was the
first women’s organization that worked to protect and promote the rights of
lesbians, bisexual women and transgendered (LBT) persons in Sri Lanka. For
15 years, WSG operated a drop-in centre and resource /research center for
LBT people. Through women’s rights and human rights organizations, WSG
advocated for LBT rights inclusion in the national human rights agenda.
iii
 GLIMPSES OF LBT RESILIENCE
JAPAN
An earthquake and tsunami devastated the
island of Hokkaido in Northeast Japan. Azusa
Yamashita, the Japan research coordinator’s
home is in Iwate Province near the epicenter
of the earthquake. Although Azusa, her team
and their families were not physically injured
or made homeless by the disasters, they had to
turn their attention to emergency relief efforts.
Azusa shared: “I had to evacuate. My flash
drive was in my backpack in my office. [Given
how much focus we placed on data security
and how difficult it would be to replace lost or
damaged interviews it was a big worry that] I
had to leave it there for one hour before I was
able to retrieve it. Since March 11, there has
been limited transportation, especially the bul-
let train. All documentation has stopped. Things
are not back to normal. We have aftershocks
daily. More earthquakes are expected. And the
nuclear radiation… So people are not comfort-
able traveling to [other] places right now.
IV VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
Bringing people to Tokyo for a training,
it’s unsafe… LBT people face more difficulties
in their daily lives after the disasters, even
more than before… I live in Iwate province.
Ninety-five percent of LBT are not out here be-
cause of fear of discrimination and isolation
from the local community. So they hide their
identities in their daily lives.
When this disaster happened, people had to
go live in shelters with strangers and experienced
discrimination. Living a double life in such a
situation made it even more difficult… LBT
people are mostly invisible in Japan – in the
workplace, in the family, in friendship circles.
Society doesn’t even believe LBT people exist
… Five percent of the 150 women tsunami survivors
said they are lesbian. So they exist.”
(May 10 2011, November 28, 2012. IGLHRC notes
from Skype meeting with research coordinators.)
 MALAYSIA
An anti-queer protest was held in Kuala
Lumpur by a network of thirty or so Malay
groups – the first such protest in Malaysia. The
Malaysia research coordinator shared, “Religious
people were unhappy that SOGI [sexual ori-
entation and gender identity] was included in
the report of Suhakam (National Human Rights
Commission), which overshadowed the launch.
They challenged the Commissioners and accused
Suhakam of promoting homosexuality. The
Commission said, ‘Discrimination is discrimination
and human rights is for everyone’ but later
Suhakam went back on this statement it made
in public and made a disclaimer… The Ministry
PAKISTAN
The governor of Punjab, Salman Taseer, was
shot twenty-six times by his personal bodyguard
for criticizing the Blasphemy Law in Pakistan.
[Section 295 of the Penal Code severely penalizes
words, images and actions that are considered
by state and religious authorities to be insulting
to Islam, Muslim beliefs, the Quran or prophet
Muhammad.]
The killer claimed he acted in defense
of Islam – earning the support of thousands
of supporters. [Six months later] in June 2011,
public outrage erupted when the US embassy
in Islamabad publicized an LGBT Pride event,
upsetting the researchers since it made them
feel even more exposed and vulnerable.
Military drone strikes by the US and anti-
American protests added to feelings of hyper-
vigilance. As the Pakistan team’s coordinators
reported, “The political situation is so overt that
people feel threatened. There are demonstrations
on the streets every day. There’s an air of insecu-
rity so this is on everyone’s minds… people
are feeling the emotional impact of interviewing.
of Education is disseminating guidelines on gender
confusion, guidelines to spot symptoms of gays
and lesbians… The Ministry of Information and
Technology sponsored an anti-LGBT musical
called Asmara Songsang (Deviant Love)… The
Minister of Education made a statement and gave
out leaflets that homosexuality should be eradi-
cated in Malaysia.
(April 19, 2011, September 18, 2012, July 19, 2011,
July 9, 2013. IGLHRC notes from Skype meetings
with research coordinators.)
They feel numb and emotional.
They did not realize how difficult it would
be, especially listening to people’s pain on a
regular basis. The issue is, there is no trust-
worthy and affordable third party psychiatrist
… The US embassy held its Pride in June [2011]
and announced it on its website. Jamaat-e-Islami,
a right wing Islamist Party, said, ‘We will not
tolerate US harboring gays.’ There’s a red zone
[at the embassy] which they [anti-American
protesters, including Islamists] tried to violate
and police beat them up. One week after
Pride, the media picked it up [the story that
the embassy had organized a gay pride event
in Pakistan]. Till now, one and half weeks later,
people are still talking about homosexuals.
Our group will not speak out publicly because
of fears and security concerns. The team is
scared [but] also thoughtful.”
(January 11, 2011, February 1, 2011, July 19, 2011.
IGLHRC notes from Skype meetings with research
coordinators.)
V
VI VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Lesbians, bisexual women and trans-
gender (LBT) individuals in Japan,
Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines and
Sri Lanka face violence and exclusion in
every sphere of their lives. This violence
is fueled by laws that criminalize same-
sex relations and gender non-conformity
and encouraged by governments who
tolerate, endorse, or directly sponsor the
violent clamp-down on those who do
not follow prevailing norms on sexual
orientation, gender identity and gender
expression.
This is the main finding from research coordinated
by the International Gay and Lesbian Human
Rights Commission (IGLHRC) and conducted
over a two-year period by women’s rights,
sexuality rights and gender rights activists based
in Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines and Sri
Lanka. Interviews were conducted in Japanese,
English, Malay, Tamil, Urdu, Tagalog, Cebuano,
Ilocano and Sinhala. The researchers uncovered
high levels of family violence perpetrated
against LBT individuals as well as widespread
discrimination in education, health and work
sectors.
LBT people faced this frequent violence and
daily discrimination without any protection
from the state. While many found strength in
knowing that they had survived the violence
they were subjected to, the quality of survival
was affected – even compromised – by the
ubiquity of discourses in the public sphere
justifying abuse against lesbian and bisexual
women. In particular, public discourse sanctioned
abuse against gender non-conforming women
and men.
Executive Summary 1
While country contexts differed on the basis
of culture, religion, legal systems and inherited
colonial legacies, there were undergirding realities
that LBT people faced in the five Asian countries
in some or all of the following ways:
• Homosexuality and gender non-conformity
were criminalized directly or indirectly
through penal code provisions that specif-
ically targeted lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender (LGBT) people or through
laws concerning public order, vagrancy or
impersonation that were implemented
disproportionately to punish LGBT people.
• Homosexuality (same-sex relations between
women) and gender non-conformity were
penalized and condemned under religious laws.
• High-level government officials endorsed
intolerance and even actively participated
in promoting harmful messages that en-
couraged abuse or discrimination against
LBT individuals. Government-controlled
media and state-supported religious
leaders perpetuated cultural messaging that
preached intolerance against individuals
with non-conforming sexual orientation,
gender identity and gender expression.
• LBT victims of violence were disadvan-
taged even before they could seek redress
for violence – due to the risk of being
criminalized1 by the state, stigmatized by
society, vilified by religious groups, and
rejected by family when their identities or
explanations of the violence were revealed.
• There was a close correlation between
1 Worldwide, male homosexuality is prohibited and
punishable under anti-sodomy laws in 76 countries [http://
old.ilga.org/Statehomophobia/ILGA_State_Sponsored_
Homophobia_2013.pdf] and lesbianism is illegal in about
30 countries [http://ilga.org/]. Non-conforming gender
behaviors are criminalized under wide-ranging laws,
frequently categorized as public order laws or morality
laws (i.e., vagrancy laws, anti-cross dressing laws and
impersonation laws). The risk of criminalization under state
law is compounded by the risk of being sanctioned under
state-endorsed religious law, such as provisions in Sharia or
Islamic law, which also carry heavy if not heavier penalties.
2 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
general gender inequality and the additional
oppression of LBT individuals. Where women
in general are expected to conform to stringent
norms on sexuality, non-conforming LBT
people are violently punished.
LBT individuals were punished by their
families and communities for “betraying”
their heritage, religion and culture.
The five-country study confirmed the existence
of complex layers of intersecting discrimination
where violence against LBT individuals was not
only motivated by rejection of sexual orientation,
gender identity and gender expression but, in
many instances, also other identity markers (e.g.,
race, ethnicity, class, economic status, religion). In
this way, LBT individuals were punished by their
families and communities for “betraying” their
heritage, religion and culture. Those without
financial advantage to “get out of” violent situations
or who were targeted for violence because they
were poor were even more vulnerable because of
increased opportunities for violence.
While findings of the studies may not be rep-
resentative of the experiences of all LBT people
in Sri Lanka, Philippines, Pakistan, Malaysia
and Japan, they represent experiences that show
patterns of violence that require serious attention
and redress. At the same time, the focus of the re-
search itself is important because violence against
LBT people is under-reported in many Asian
countries. As this research shows, one reason
for the under-reporting is precisely the “private
nature of the violence.” It occurs in the private
sphere (of family, home, intimate relationships)
while being encouraged by the stigmatization –
and in some instances, demonization – of LBT
people in the public sphere (by state institutions,
government leaders, media, employers, non-
governmental organizations, police and people on
the streets).
IGLHRC and the five groups that undertook the • The state must recognize that violence
research urge comprehensive recommendations and discrimination against LBT youth
to the executive and legislative branches of and adults hinders the achievement of the
government, state institutions and civil society Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
groups. The following is a summary: on poverty eradication, gender equality,
universal healthcare and universal primary
• The state must take responsibility for
school education. As such, the state must
ensuring an environment that is supportive
integrate LBT concerns and needs into
of all women’s rights, not merely the rights
the MDGs and legal and policy reforms.
of some women.
This includes extending legal protections
• The state must exercise due diligence in against violence and discrimination,
preventing violence and promoting the decriminalizing adult consensual same-sex
safety and dignity of all marginalized and relations, decriminalizing gender non-con-
vulnerable populations. These include formity, and penalizing violence against
ethnic and religious minorities, people LBT people in the public and private
with disabilities, indigenous communities, spheres by State and non-State violators.
and sexual and non-conforming gender
minorities.
The state must not endorse and, in fact,
• The state must not endorse and, in fact,
must denounce the misuse of religious must denounce the misuse of religious
discourse to promote intolerance, stigma-
discourse to promote intolerance,
tization and violence against LBT people.
stigmatization and violence against LBT
• The state must comply with international
treaties2 it ratifies and honor international people.
agreements it makes, such as the Beijing
Platform for Action,3 in order to remove
obstacles from both the public and private • State actions must be accompanied by
spheres that prevent all women (female stronger community capacity for sustain-
bodied, gender variant, lesbian, bisexual) able and supportive interventions as part
and female-to-male transgender men from of civil society accountability to disadvan-
enjoying violence-free lives. taged communities. It should not be the
expectation that individual LBT victims
be self-reliant and resilient in order to deal
2 All five of the research countries have ratified the CEDAW
with violence on their own while waiting
Convention. However, it is only since 2010 that LBT groups
and women’s groups in Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Japan and for State action to reduce violence.
the Philippines have used the Convention to advocate
protections from violence. The impetus for this is most likely •
Recommendation 28 on the core obligations of states that
includes lesbians as a vulnerable group. The research countries
have also ratified the Convention On The Rights Of The Child.
In addition, Japan, Philippines and Sri Lanka have signed the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. These
treaties explicitly name sexual orientation (and in some cases
gender identity) as a protected category.

3 “Beijing Declaration and Platform of Action, adopted at the

Fourth World Conference on Women,” UN Women website,
accessed March 8, 2014, http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/
beijing/platform/.

Executive Summary 3
 • “No personal opinion, no religious belief, no matter how deeply held or
widely shared, can ever justify depriving another human being of his or her
basic rights. And that is what we are discussing here: depriving certain
individuals of their human rights – taking away their right to life and
security of person, their rights to privacy, to freedom from arbitrary
detention, torture and discrimination, to freedom of expression, association
and peaceful assembly … we should recognize that underlying all of
this violence and discrimination is prejudice. We know from
experience that you don’t eliminate prejudice by changing the law
alone; you must change people’s hearts and minds as well.”

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay to the Panel on Ending Violence and Discrimination against Individuals on
the Basis of their Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity at the Human Rights Council 19th Session, Geneva, March 7, 2012

“In many countries, discrimination towards gay and lesbian people is

hardwired into the law. This is the case, for example, in some 76
countries where individuals face criminal sanctions just for loving
and engaging in private in consensual sexual relations with another
adult of the same sex. And even where homosexual conduct is not
explicitly criminalized, the law may be applied in a discriminatory manner to
persecute and punish people perceived as being gay or lesbian as well as
those who dress in a manner that challenges gender stereotypes. We also
know from experience that discriminatory laws reinforce and lend legitimacy
to discriminatory attitudes at a popular level. If the State treats some people
as second class, or second rate, or, worse, criminals, because of their sexual
orientation or gender identity, it invites members of the public to do the same. The result is an
alarming and deeply entrenched pattern of violence and discrimination directed at people who are or
are perceived to be lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.”
Ivan Šimonovic - Assistant Secretary-General For Human Rights to the Panel on Ending Violence and Criminal Sanctions
Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, New York, December 8, 2011

“Under the broad and ill-defined mantle of “culture” States may fail to
recognize the diverse voices within their own communities, or may
deliberately choose to suppress them. …Because of the stigma
attached to issues surrounding sexual orientation and gender
identity, violence against LGBT persons is frequently unreported,
undocumented and goes ultimately unpunished. Rarely does it
provoke public debate and outrage. This shameful silence is the
ultimate rejection of the fundamental principle of universality of
rights. Impunity for crimes of violence against LGBT persons
suggests that, in many societies, they are seen as less deserving of
the protection of the law. In the final analysis, their lives are seen to be
worth less, along with the lives of others whom society unjustly rejects because of their faults or
flaws, real or imagined. In the face of that reality, the responsibility of the State to extend effective
protection is, if anything, heightened.”
Louise Arbour (of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights) Presentation to the
International Conference on LGBT Human Rights, Montreal, July 26, 2006

4 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
CROSS-COUNTRY
ANALYSIS
VIOLENCE
Against Lesbians, Bisexual Women
and Transgender People in Asia:
A Five Country Study

GRACE POORE, IGLHRC

CO NTE NTS

INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................................................. 11
VIOLENCE DEFINITIONS...................................................................................................................................15
SUMMARY OF CROSS-COUNTRY FINDINGS.............................................................................................. 17
CONCEPTUAL BACKGROUND......................................................................................................................... 18
Using the Rights Lens.................................................................................................................................. 18
Sexual Rights and Rights to Bodily Autonomy are Human Rights.................................................... 19
Challenging Privatization of Violence.......................................................................................................20
When Discrimination is Violence..............................................................................................................21
Politics of Naming Violence........................................................................................................................22
Violence against “Women”Is a Contentious Topic................................................................................24
Ideological Roots of Violence.....................................................................................................................25
ANALYSIS OF REGIONAL FINDINGS ............................................................................................................27
Some Explanations for Centrality of Family Violence ..........................................................................30
Suicide.............................................................................................................................................................32
Examples of Violence Associated with LBT Visibility.............................................................................36
CONCLUSIONS....................................................................................................................................................42
State Programs on Gender-Motivated Violence Overlook LBT People............................................42
Closeting of Violence ..................................................................................................................................42
Lack of Accountability..................................................................................................................................43
Lack of Access to Redress...........................................................................................................................43
Survivors at Great Cost................................................................................................................................44
RECOMMENDATIONS........................................................................................................................................45
APPENDIX A: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY..................................................................................................51
APPENDIX B: SUMMARY OF COUNTRY CONTEXTS..................................................................................54
APPENDIX C: CURRENT LAWS THAT RELATE TO LBT PEOPLE IN 5 ASIAN COUNTRIES ...............58
10 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia

INTRODUCTION
VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of
Lesbians, Bisexual Women and
Transgender People in Asia is based
on research conducted between
November 2010 and March 2012
by women’s human rights groups,
sexuality rights groups, and gender
rights groups in Japan, Malaysia,
Pakistan, Philippines and Sri Lanka.1
Each country team analyzed its own
data and authored a country chapter
presented in this regional report.
1 Groups that partnered with IGLHRC on this research are Gay
Japan News; KRYSS; O; Rainbow Rights Project; and Women’s
Support Group.
Lesbians, bisexual women and transgender
(LBT) individuals who shared their stories about
violence as well as those who did the interviewing
and reporting took a big step forward with this
project. They have now made available evidence-
based information, which was previously scant
to virtually non-existent, using human rights
documentation techniques.
The findings prove the prevalence and severity
of violence against women with non-conform-
ing sexual orientation (such as lesbians, women
attracted to women, bisexual women) and
individuals with non-conforming gender identity
and gender expression (such as transgender men,
transgender women, tomboys, butch lesbians) in
the five Asian countries. While the findings of this
five-country study may not be representative of
the experiences of all LBT people in Sri Lanka,
Philippines, Pakistan, Malaysia and Japan, they
represent experiences that show violence patterns
that require serious attention and redress. Our
hope is that others will build on this research
to expand the understanding of root causes of
violence against women and transgender people
in Asia on the basis of their sexual orientation,
gender identity and gender expression.
The impetus for undertaking this project emerged
during several consultations with lesbian, gay,
bisexual and transgender (LGBT) activists in
Asia who were asked what challenges they faced
in their work, and which of these challenges they
were not able to address.2 A recurrent theme
2 In 2007 and 2008, IGLHRC’s Asia Program initiated dialogues
with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) activists in
several different Asian countries to identify key issues that for
some reason were being overlooked by various civil society
sectors such as women’s groups, gay men’s groups and
human rights groups – issues such as availability of funding,
government’s failure to respond, government harassment,
limited activist capacity, and under-articulated priorities. In
May 2009, IGLHRC invited twenty lesbian, bisexual women
and transgender activists from eleven countries – China,
India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines,
Sri Lanka, Taiwan and Thailand – to a regional consultation
and strategy workshop held in the Philippines to discuss
violence against LBT people and the need for documentation.
Five of the eleven participating countries chose to partner
Cross-Country Analysis 11
in the consultations was the under-reporting
of violence, particularly against lesbians, and
more broadly, violence against lesbians, bisexual
women and transgender people. The activists
highlighted four possible explanations for this
underreporting:
1. Where the law prohibits discrimination
against marginalized and vulnerable pop-
ulations, these laws usually do not extend
protections to LBT people. For instance,
laws meant to protect women from
domestic violence and sexual violence are
often not applicable to LBT people who
are similarly victimized. This is the case
even when the law recognizes de facto
(i.e., non-married) couples.
2. In cases where the law may be applicable
to LBT people, victims fear reporting
violence because their experience with
police and law-enforcement tells them such
reporting invites mistreatment – in the
form of humiliation, rejection, discrimina-
tion, or possibly even criminalization for
being lesbian or transgender.
3. The social stigma that continues to be
associated with non-conforming sexual
orientation, gender identity and gender
expression also means that many organi-
zations whose mandates focus on human
rights, workers’ rights, and women’s
rights, as well as other more mainstream
issues, distance themselves from LBT
issues and rights.
4. The relentless pressure of compulsory het-
erosexuality along with gender-based dis-
crimination and violence creates a vicious
cycle of victim isolation, self-blame for the
violence, absence of redress, internalized
homophobia or transphobia, and perpetra-
tor impunity.
with IGLHRC based on their willingness to prioritize violence
against LBT people, undertake and deliver research and
documentation, be trained in human rights documentation,
use their research findings for local advocacy, partner with an
international LGBT rights organization, and work as part of a
regional collective.
12 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
This research project sets out to examine these
country conditions. See Appendix B for examples
of country conditions affecting women’s rights
and LBT rights.
The research is advocacy-driven in that a key
objective of the research is to carry out evi-
dence-based advocacy at the national, regional
and international levels. The research objective
informed the formulation of research questions.3
See Appendix A for methodology.
3 The following are collectively identified research goals for
this project: document the nature, extent and impact of
violence against LBT people; identify LBT people’s strategies
to survive (e.g., coping, resisting, avoiding) violence
and highlight successful strategies; document patterns
and modes of violence in varied contexts (e.g., family,
community, legislative, workplace, educational institution,
police); identify resources and institutions that can be
accessed for support; identify context-specific strategies
for long-term and ongoing monitoring and responses to
violence against LBT people; foreground the intersectionality
of issues facing LBT people; and disseminate research
findings. The following are advocacy goals that informed the
research: push for legislative change; strengthen solidarity
networks with potential allies; engage the women’s
movements to push for legal and attitudinal reform;
advocate with the health and human rights movements
to integrate LBT issues in their agendas; conduct targeted
education and sensitization campaigns for/with existing
and potential allies (e.g., messaging to end hostility against
and guarantee access of LBT people to justice at the family,
community, national and international levels); encourage
allies to expand and identify LBT-friendly services based
on the principles of non-discrimination and equality;
improve resources and support mechanisms for victims and
survivors of violence based on sexual orientation, gender
identity and gender expression; build the LBT community
by specifically identifying and conducting outreach to
LBT individuals and activists; educate LBT people about
their rights with regard to the law, community resources
and survival strategies; write shadow reports to statutory
bodies and for Universal Periodic Reviews; provide training,
counseling and legal assistance so that LBT people become
stronger human rights defenders and activists; and explore
opportunities for a regional cross-country initiative.

NAVIGATING UNFRIENDLY
ENVIRONMENTS
The activists involved in this research are not only
human rights documenters but also human rights
defenders.4 They gathered testimonies of violence
even as they lived through violence themselves,
including: direct experiences of condemnation,
often with reference to religion; vilification by the
media; societal prejudice; LGBT scapegoating by
politicians; and hostile public commentary such
as hate speech by government leaders. Simply par-
ticipating in the research placed the country teams
at risk for violence for two reasons: firstly, the
research made their activism visible; and secondly,
the research topic was itself seen as taboo, thus
increasing the potential for negative intervention.
This harsh reality shaped documentation efforts
along the way. For instance, in Pakistan, the
research coordinators reported that it was danger-
ous to ask lesbians and bisexual women to join
the research team because being associated with
4 Many members of the research teams engaged in grassroots
activism in their countries and at the regional level such
as demanding clean and fair national elections [Bersih
2.0 People’s Tribunal, http://www.bersih.org/]; fighting
State censorship [“Seksualiti Merdeka Says Ban on Festival
Unconstitutional, Illegal,” The Malaysian Insider, January 10,
2012, http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/
seksualiti-merdeka-says-ban-on-festival-unconstitutional-
illegal]; contending with religious homophobia and
transphobia [“LGBT A Jewish Agenda, Says Perkasa,” fz.com,
October 18, 2012, http://www.fz.com/content/lgbt-jewish-
agenda-says-perkasa], “Transgender Women’s Constitutional
Challenge To Sharia Law Fails In Malaysia,” IGLHRC,
October 15, 2012, http://iglhrc.wordpress.com/2012/10/15/
transgender-womens-constitutional-challenge-to-sharia-law-
fails-in-malaysia/]; organizing post-disaster relief for LGBT
people [“Beyond Invisibility: Great East Japan Disaster And
LGBT In Northeast Japan,” FOCUS September 2012 Vol. 69,
http://www.hurights.or.jp/archives/focus/section2/2012/09/
beyond-invisibility-great-east-japan-disaster-and-lgbt-in-
northeast-japan.html]; and mobilizing civil society opposition
to the exclusion of sexual orientation and gender identity in
the first ever human rights instrument in Asia, the ASEAN
Human Rights Declaration [“Demand Inclusion of LGBT
Rights in the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration!!” Care2
Petition Site, November 6, 2012, http://www.thepetitionsite.
com/338/261/722/demand-inclusion-of-lgbt-right-in-the-
asean-human-rights-declaration/].
the project would imply that they themselves were
defying societal expectations regarding women’s
sexuality and gender norms.
Outreach to find people to interview was
always a negotiation between breaking the
silence about violence and identity and
preserving silence about the research focus.
This affected the make-up of the team.5 In Sri
Lanka, some stakeholders (a lawyer and a district
medical officer) were aggressively homophobic
towards interviewers, and they raised questions
imputing that a hidden agenda of the researchers
was to destabilize Sri Lankan culture. These stake-
holders could potentially have jeopardized the
future of the project. In Malaysia, researchers had
to navigate between protecting people’s identities
and ensuring transparency about the project in
order to build credibility. In these three countries
in particular, outreach to find people to interview
was always a negotiation between breaking the
silence about violence and identity and preserving
silence about the research focus. Security risks
also affected access to and availability of LGBT-
friendly, reliable and trustworthy translators and
transcribers, who required careful vetting – lim-
iting possibilities for outsourcing translation and
transcription.
In sum, researchers had to walk the line between
preserving silences and breaking silences, between
protecting people’s identities and being open
about the project, in order to build credibility and
draw more participants willing to be interviewed.
Researchers had to balance guarding the informa-
tion being collected and sharing it with people to
whom translation or transcription was outsourced.
All of this was accomplished in political and social
conditions that at times were hostile and required
teams to thoughtfully navigate safety concerns.
These concerns about safety manifested differently
depending on ethnicity, class, religion, age and
economic circumstances of LBT interviewees.
5 Much of O, Pakistan’s documentation was carried out by gay men.
Cross-Country Analysis 13
While researchers wrote up their respective coun-
try reports, security risks continued to challenge
the project. One research team withdrew a quote
by a religious leader from their report because he
contradicted the misconception that homosex-
uality was prohibited in his religion. They were
concerned that disseminating the report with
the quote left intact might spark a backlash by
religious extremists in their country who have
mobilized a nationalist movement.6 Another
research team, fearing backlash, false accusations
of blasphemy, and risk of vigilante violence – ra-
tionalized by a Penal Code provision that im-
poses long prison terms and fines for blasphemy7
– decided not to produce a country report or
disseminate the findings of their research inside
the country. One researcher explained the team’s
trepidation, saying, “ … it will be risky for us to
make any public statements.” A third research
team re-strategized dissemination of the research
after government leaders and other leading politi-
cians publicly called gay people “deviant aspects”
of society, urged parents to monitor “gay symp-
toms,” and advocated forced institutionalization
of gay people.8
6 “Fears Mount Over Sri Lanka Anti-Muslim Campaign,” AP
News, April 7, 2013, http://asiancorrespondent.com/104533/
sri-lanka-anti-muslim-campaign-threatens-tensions/.
7 Section 295 of the Pakistan Penal Code imposes a minimum
ten years to life in prison and/or fines for words, images and
actions that are considered by State and religious authorities
to be insulting to Islam, Muslim beliefs, the Quran, or prophet
Muhammad. See Aakar Patel, “Pakistan’s blasphemy law,”
The Express Tribune, August 26, 2012, http://tribune.com.
pk/story/426498/pakistans-blasphemy-law/]. Pakistan also
has Section 377 of the Penal Code, which criminalizes non-
procreative sex and targets sexual non-conformity. The law
states: whoever voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the
order of nature with any man, woman or animal, shall be
punished with imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment of
either description for a term which shall not be less than two
years nor more than ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.
Penetration is sufficient to constitute the carnal intercourse
necessary to the offense described in this section. Section
294, which criminalizes obscene acts was also a concern to an
already anxious research team.
8 Anna Leach, “16,000 Parents and Teachers Told to Curb LGBT
Behavior in Malaysia,” Gay Star News, February 4, 2013, http://
www.gaystarnews.com/article/16000-parents-and-teachers-told-
curb-lgbt-behavior-malaysia040213; Anna Leach, “Malaysian
14 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
These examples reiterate the additional challenges
of undertaking advocacy-driven research. Our
activist research partners had to be cognizant of
their end goals, watching shifts in the political
landscape towards human rights, LGBT rights,
and women’s rights. This was necessary in order
to pre-empt pushback that would divert attention
away from the research findings they wanted to
highlight and instead make the LBT research
participants or researchers the focus of criminal
investigation.
INCLUSION OF
TRANSGENDER MEN
Including transmen in this research prompted an
unexpected and lengthy debate driven by some of
the researchers’ uncertainty about whether or not
transmen would be offended if they were asked to
participate in a project about non-heteronorma-
tive women. On the one hand, the Philippines
team was concerned that including transmen in
a project that was focused on women could and
would be read by transmen in the Philippines
as an imposition of the term “woman” on them.
The team also felt strongly that the research
should focus on lesbians, bisexual women and
transwomen. On the other hand, IGLHRC and
other country teams did not want the research to
reinforce the general invisibility of transmen in
LGBT spaces or add to the silence about issues
faced by transmen in Asia. In all five research
countries, transmen are the most invisible of
LGBT groups and communities.
With respect to this debate, we came to the
following resolutions:
• Focus the research on: women with non-con-
forming sexual orientation; people assigned
Deputy Prime Minister Says LGBT People Need Counseling,”
Gay Star News, April 5, 2012, http://www.gaystarnews.com/
node/1847; Anna Leach, “LGBTs Are Deviant Aspects of
Malaysia Says Prime Minister,” Gay Star News, June 27, 2012,
http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/lgbts-are-‘deviant-aspects’-
malaysia-says-prime-minister270612; Anna Leach, “Politician
Calls For Gay Rehab Center in Malaysia,” Gay Star News,
March 22, 2012, http://www.gaystarnews.com/node/1613.
 female identity who now identify as men;
and people assigned male identity who now
identify as women.9
• Transgender people across the spectrum
were eligible for this research.
• The only people who would not be included
in the study were cisgender heterosexual
men, cisgender gay and bisexual men, and
cisgender heterosexual women.
VIOLENCE DEFINITIONS
The research looks at the continuum of violence.
LBT interviewees were asked about three forms of
violence:10 physical, emotional and sexual violence.
• Physical violence examples include: battery
(e.g., beating, hair-pulling, throttling, kicking,
pushing, burning, head-butting, tying up,
etc.); physical confinement; imprisonment;
depriving of basic necessities (such as food,
shelter, clothing); forcible electro-shock
therapy; assault; or other forms of bodily
injury.
• Emotional violence is a term interchange-
ably used with mental and psychological
abuse. Some victim-survivors of this kind
of violence might call it a violation of their
spirit or dignity. The types of actions or be-
haviors that constitute emotional violence in
this research are: verbal abuse (e.g., insults,
taunts, swearing, denigration, allegations of
abnormality); threats (e.g., to harm self or
others, abandon, evict, imprison, disclose
sexual orientation to others, etc.); control-
ling actions (e.g., restricting socializing
with family, friend, or neighbors, invading
9 The regional report refers to the research as violence against
lesbians, bisexual women and transgender people in Asia or
LBT people.
10 H
 omicide on grounds of sexual orientation, gender identity
or gender expression is considered violence, but we exclude
it from the research since it is not within the scope of the
study. However, suicide or attempted suicide is not considered
violence in this research but an impact of violence.
privacy, monitoring communication); silent
hostility (e.g., non-verbal behaviors that
express contempt, denial, rejection of sexual
orientation, gender identity, gender expres-
sion); neglect (e.g., withholding financial
support, denying human contact, denying
medical treatment or medication).
• Sexual violence examples include: threats to
rape; derogatory sexual name calling; forcibly
showing sexual images; unwanted sexual
language; unwanted sexual touching; forced
sex; “corrective” rape; forced participation in
the filming of sexual activity; filming sexual
activity without consent; and recording
sexual assault.
Acts of omission and commission were included
because they were experienced as violent practices
by LBT individuals living under the country
conditions where the research was undertaken.
• Acts of omission consist of failing to help
someone in need. For example, employers
who either fail to intervene when an LBT
employee is sexually harassed or fail to
prevent future sexual harassment are responsi-
ble for acts of omission in both cases.
• Acts of commission or repression consist
of directly depriving people of their human
rights. For example, employers who demand
sexual favors when they discover someone’s
sexual orientation or gender identity, or
neighbors who threaten to rape a lesbian
couple living next to them, are responsible
for acts of commission.
LBT people were asked about experiences of
violence in the public sphere and violence in
the private sphere.
• Violence in the public sphere is perpe-
trated by State and non-State actors. This
type of violence includes: violence by State
institutions such as police or immigration
authorities; violence facilitated by State
policies, such as endorsement of harmful
religious or cultural practices; and violence
that occurs in areas controlled almost
exclusively by the State (e.g., social wel-
fare departments, religious departments,
Cross-Country Analysis 15
 educational institutions, passport control
centers, police precincts, courts, etc.). Public
violence also covers violence on the streets,
neighborhoods, ethnic and religious com-
munities, public gatherings, places of work,
school, restaurants, stores, public transporta-
tion and entertainment establishments.
• Violence in the private sphere refers to
violence in the private realm, household,
family, intimate relationships or so-called
“domestic” sphere. It also covers violence
by community members. Violence in the
private sphere is sometimes problematically
thought of as “private violence,” wrongly
implying that victim-survivors are not en-
titled to state protections or redress for this
category of human rights violations.
Violence by private individuals and non-State
actors contributed significantly to the hostile
environment in which the majority of the LBT
• Institutional violators are representatives
people involved in the study live.
The research covers three categories of violators/
perpetrators: State, individual and institutional.
• State violators include the police, immigra-
tion authorities, officers of State-established
religious departments and legislators. The
violence perpetrated by State actors in-
cludes: deliberately using the State apparatus
to commit acts of violence; passing laws that
discriminate and lead to violence; and facil-
itating impunity of violators (e.g., by police
and immigration authorities). State policy,
action and inaction set the tone for public
attitudes and treatment towards LBT peo-
ple. For example, national legislation, local
ordinances, ministerial directives, political
speeches, and government endorsement of
• Individual violators include neighbors,
positions through State-controlled media or
by religious leaders all influence public reac-
tions towards LBT people. Indirect actions
11 In Malaysia, there are State and non-State religious institutions.
of the State also constitute a violation of
human rights obligations, such as its failure
to protect and prevent violence against LBT
individuals or to create an environment
conducive to ensuring the human rights of
LBT people. For instance, the State condon-
16 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
ing and being complicit with the violence
committed by non-State actors and private
individuals – by not condemning or punishing
violence – constitutes a violation of human
rights. While the human rights framework
does not categorize the State’s failure to
prevent violence and its complicity with
violence as violence per se, it does stipulate
a State obligation to prevent and punish the
violence. Also, feminists argue that under
patriarchy the state wields tremendous
power; complicity in the violence, either
by excusing it or remaining silent when
aware of it, gives permission for violence to
continue unchecked. They assert that for
people who already lack access to redress
mechanism, the State’s failure is experienced
as violent action. Indeed, the respondents as
well as researchers in this project experience
this as a lived reality.
of State institutions (e.g., medical or mental
health professionals working for government
hospitals and psychiatric facilities, journal-
ists working in government-controlled me-
dia, teachers in public or state schools) and
non-State social institutions (e.g., religious
leaders) who carry out harmful actions that
cause harm to LBT people.11 Examples of
institutional violence that LBT individuals
were asked about for this research included
forced mental health treatment because
of same-sex or gender non-conforming
behaviors that were considered by medi-
cal and mental health professionals to be
“abnormal,” or religious condemnation and
penalties because of lesbianism or non-con-
forming gender expression.
The government-established Islamic religious departments
are State institutions that employ religious officers to monitor
syariah law compliance and arrest non-complying Muslims
(such as gender non-conforming individuals who are Muslims).
Non-State religious institutions would include Muslim mosques,
Christian churches, Buddhist and Hindu temples or religious
organizations.
 passersby in public spaces, family members,
intimate partners, religious vigilantes, or
co-workers. Violence by individuals covers
harmful acts against LBT people such as
sexual taunting, verbal hostility, blackmail,
extortion, harassment, threats, physical
violence and property damage.
LBT interviewees were asked about two dimen-
sions of violence: the interpersonal dimension,
where a person or small group commits harmful
actions (e.g., when family members force LBT
people to go to a psychiatrist to “cure” them, or
when family members use physical violence and
threats to “dissuade” transgender women from
wearing make-up or growing long hair); and
the collective dimension, where a mob or gang
of attackers target LBT individuals.
Regardless of whether the violence occurs in
public or private spheres, by State or non-State
actors, representatives of the State and institutions
of the State have a human rights obligation to
refrain from perpetrating or condoning violence,
and to exercise due diligence to prevent and
punish the specific violence perpetrated against
LBT people.
SUMMARY OF
CROSS-COUNTRY
FINDINGS
Several regional trends emerged from this research
on violence against LBT people in Asia:
1. Laws prohibiting violence against women in
Asia were directly or indirectly discriminatory
and did not extend adequate protections –
or in some cases any protections – to LBT
people. In many respects, it was reported
that the State not only failed to prevent
but also condoned violence against female-
bodied and transgender people.
Cross-Country Analysis
2. Emotional violence was the most commonly
reported form of violence for LBT peo-
ple in Asia, both in public and private
spheres, regardless of who the perpetrator
was. Emotional violence reported in this
study often continued for many years with
long-term consequences for an individual’s
emotional and physical well-being.
3. The family was the primary perpetrator
of violence according to LBT people in
Asia. Family members carried out emo-
tional, verbal, physical and sexual violence
against LBT people. This violence occurred
regularly and had greater and longer lasting
impact than violence perpetrated by non-
family members.
4. LBT people in Asia reported an unexpect-
edly high occurrence of intimate partner
violence, including physical and sexual
violence. Perpetrators of partner violence
were same-sex partners, dating partners,
and heterosexual and cisgender partners of
transgender individuals. There were also
reports of spousal violence by heterosexual
husbands of lesbians in forced marriages.
5. Sexual violence against LBT people in
Asia was overwhelmingly perpetrated by
individuals who knew their victims. Most
perpetrators tended to be male (i.e., het-
erosexual, cisgender).
6. Greater visibility of non-conforming sexual
orientation, gender identity and gender
expression resulted in a greater frequency of
violence against LBT people in Asia. This
association was especially noticeable in
countries where religion was used to justify
and intensify intolerance.
7. State institutions, including medical,
mental health and State-funded women’s
shelter networks in Asia, were insensitive
and not trained to assist LBT victims
of violence. In general, service providing
agencies responded poorly to LBT individuals
who face violence.
17

CONCEPTUAL
BACKGROUND
Using the Rights Lens
When the State fails to hold the perpetrators
accountable, impunity not only intensifies
the subordination and powerlessness of the
targets of violence, but also sends a message to
society that male violence against women is
both acceptable and inevitable. As a result,
patterns of violent behavior are normalized.
– Kofi Annan, United Nations Secretary
General12
While civil society solidarity between LBT groups
and non-LBT groups strengthens overall women’s
rights and human rights advocacy – and can
embolden LBT activism and increase allies – it
is up to the State as the primary duty-bearer13 to
enact good laws (e.g., anti-rape laws, anti sexual
harassment laws, anti-discrimination laws) and
amend or remove bad laws (e.g., sodomy laws,
morality laws). The State must send a message
that violence on the basis of sexual orientation,
gender identity and gender expression will not
be tolerated and is both criminal and punishable
under State law.
This research starts from the assumption that as
the primary duty-bearer for remedying human
rights violations, the State has a responsibility
to combat all violence that is directed at LBT
persons. If there is an inadequate State response
to non-State violence – or no intervention
12 United Nations, In-depth study on all forms of violence against
women: Report of the Secretary-General, A/61/122/Add.1 (July
6, 2006), 76, available from http://www.un.org/womenwatch/
daw/vaw/v-sg-study.htm.
13 Much has been written about human rights as a governing
body’s duty versus the reality of good governance extending
to all members of society. For instance, see Jack Donnelly,
Universal Human Rights: In Theory & Practice, 2nd Edition,
(Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 2003).
18 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
at all – the State is essentially condoning the
violence. The research is also predicated on the
understanding that States are accountable to
standards under international human rights
law. International human rights law stipulates
the following:
1. The State is responsible for ensuring an
environment that is supportive of all and not
only some women’s rights.
2. The State must exercise due diligence in
preventing violence and promoting the safety
and dignity of all marginalized and vulnerable
populations – ethnic minorities, people with
disabilities, indigenous communities, religious
minorities, including sexual minorities and
non-conforming gender minorities.
3. The State must comply with international
treaties that it ratifies, such as the Convention
on the Elimination of All Forms of Dis-
crimination Against Women (CEDAW), the
International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights (ICCPR), the Convention on the
Rights of the Child (CRC), and international
agreements it makes (e.g., the Beijing
Platform for Action)14 in order to remove
obstacles from both the public and private
spheres that prevent all women (female
bodied, gender variant, lesbian, bisexual)
and female-to-male transgender men from
enjoying violence-free lives.
Non-State violence is a significant problem for
LBT people, and the State’s reluctance to intervene
in non-State violence can be read as privatization
of violence, where violence against LBT people by
non-State actors and private individuals is treated
as understandable, normal, justifiable, even
inevitable,15 and this “inevitability” is a justification
14 United Nations, Beijing Platform for Action (September 15,
1995), available from http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/
beijing/platform/.
15 In comments for International Women’s Day, March 8, 2013,
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said that
violence against women is “not inevitable” and that “mindsets
can change.” See “Violence against Women is not inevitable:
Ban Ki-moon,” United Nations Radio, March 8, 2013, http://
for the State sidestepping its due diligence to LBT
people. Due diligence refers to responsibilities
of the State to prevent, investigate and punish
violence by responding to all acts of violence with
measures that include: public education about
violence, civil remedies for violence, providing
assistance like emergency shelter and counsel-
ing services, gender sensitive training for police
and judges, as well as documenting and publicly
disseminating reports on violence.16 In effect,
due diligence to stop violence against women and
against marginalized and vulnerable populations
is required to advance women’s equality, and to
promote and protect the rights of marginalized
populations including LBT people.
Violence against LBT people by non-State
actors and private individuals is treated
as understandable, normal, justifiable,
even inevitable, and this “inevitability” is a
justification for the State sidestepping its due
diligence to LBT people.
In many Asian countries, human rights are
legitimized and delegitimized in accordance
with the State’s acceptance or rejection of certain
rights (e.g. sexual rights, rights related to bodily
autonomy) and certain segments of society (e.g.
LGBT people). Often, there is a corresponding
recognition or neglect of particular rights and
segments of the vulnerable population by main-
stream human rights movements in that country.
The groups undertaking this research project were
aware of the tendency of many States to favor
the “traditional” approach to human rights that
hierarchizes and compartmentalizes human rights,
women’s rights, and reproductive rights while
rejecting sexual rights. They also understood the
importance of relying on internationally recognized
www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/2013/03/violence-against-
women-is-not-inevitable-ban-ki-moon/.
16 See for example: United Nations, Declaration on the
Elimination of Violence against Women, A/RES/48/104
(December 20, 1993), available from. http://www.un.org/
documents/ga/res/48/a48r104.htm.
definitions of human rights,17 not only for civil
society advocacy and education purposes but also
to hold the State accountable to carrying out due
diligence in the treaty agreements it has signed.
Sexual Rights and Rights to Bodily
Autonomy are Human Rights
Given the complicated silences behind the
cross-cutting violence that LBT people experience,
and the multiple stakeholders responsible for the
violence – and impunity shrouding the violence –
IGLHRC recognized the need to adopt a research
methodology upholding sexual rights and rights
to bodily autonomy as human rights.
Taking this approach addressed the specific needs
of the project:
1. The traditional human rights framework
tends to focus on violence by State perpetrators
and does not give equal weight to non-State
perpetrators, such as family and private
individuals. This research does.
2. The traditional human rights framework
centers on violation and victimization (i.e.,
the voices of people who have been violated
and not their experiences of coping and
survival). This research looks at victimization
and resiliency.
3. The traditional human rights framework
prioritizes State culpability. This research
does not limit culpability to the State but
also looks at the roles and responsibilities
of multiple stakeholders, including the role
of the non-State sector in stopping violence
on the basis of sexual orientation, gender
identity and gender expression.
4. In line with the current status and scope of
human rights analysis on subjective suffering
and non-physical forms of ill-treatment, this
17 S ee “Sexual Rights: an IPPF declaration,” International Planned
Parenthood Federation, 2008, http://www.ippfwhr.org/sites/
default/files/files/SexualRightsIPPFdeclaration.pdf.
Cross-Country Analysis 19
 research looks at the continuum of violence non-State violence directed at individuals with
including non-physical yet equally harmful non-conforming sexual orientation, gender iden-
types of violence experienced by LBT people. tity and gender expression.
5. While the human rights framework is clear
Sexuality and gender non-conformity are frequently
that all human rights are interdependent,
wedge issues20 in many women’s movements
indivisible, and universal, much human rights
around the world, where sexual rights and bodily
documentation does not adequately integrate
autonomy tend to be subsumed under a heter-
an intersectional analysis.18 This research
onormative agenda that narrowly focuses on
examines the intersectionality of discrimina-
reproductive rights and maternal health. The rights
tion and violence that LBT people experi-
to sexual autonomy and bodily integrity are often
enced, where different prohibited grounds for
sidelined, for example: when women’s groups push
violence and discrimination (e.g., ethnicity,
for gender mainstreaming but are silent on lesbian
sex, religion) multiplied the vulnerabilities for
and bisexual women’s issues; or when advocates
violence, created specific types of violence,
for marginalized and vulnerable populations are
altered the settings for violence, and exacer-
reluctant to mention sexual orientation and gender
bated the egregiousness of violence on the
identity even when they are discussing sexuality.
basis of sexual orientation, gender identity
These lapses often come in response to religious
and gender expression.
conservatives vilifying women’s sexual rights
defenders and accusing these advocates of promot-
ing promiscuity and deviant sexual behaviors.
Challenging Privatization of Violence Consequently, the rights of lesbians, bisexual
women – and disproportionately those of trans-
In the five countries where the research was
gender individuals – are bypassed by mainstream
carried out, governments relied on the family to
(heterosexual and cisgender/gender conforming)
regulate morals through compliance with the law
women’s non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
while religious institutions expected the family
For some it is a question of ignorance; they simply
to enforce heteronormative concepts of family
do not know (and choose not to learn) about the
structure, marriage, women’s role in society,
human rights issues that affect women and trans
motherhood, fatherhood, femininity, masculinity
persons of diverse sexualities and gender expressions.
and sexuality.19 Non-compliance with such laws
For others, there is a conscious decision to avoid
and norms had serious consequences, including
coming under religious attack and/or avoid being
threatened with defunding and government surveil-
lance and harassment. Worse, many mainstream
18 Feminists and advocates of sexual rights (within the broader organizations focusing on women’s rights, women’s
human rights framework) stress that civil, political, economic, health, and human rights in general, will distance
social and cultural rights are all interdependent and indivisible. themselves publicly from LBT groups. The effect of
For instance, denying rights on grounds of sexual orientation
this distancing is the exclusion of violence against
and gender identity takes away people’s ability to enjoy the
other rights recognized by the State. LBT persons from national and international
human rights monitoring and reporting, affecting
19 Heteronormativity “valorizes heterosexuality but particularly
not only their in-country advocacy but also the ac-
a gender-conforming understanding of heterosexuality,
which allocates more power to male leadership in public and curacy of their reporting to UN treaty-monitoring
private life, rewarding females primarily for reproduction and bodies such as the Committee on the Elimination
submission”…teaching women and girls from an early age that of Discrimination Against Women.21
women must marry men, fulfill their husbands’ sexual needs,
bear children, be responsible for house work and childcare,
and “express a particular model of femininity.” See “Equal and
20 Cynthia Rothschild, “Written Out: How Sexuality Is Used To
Indivisible: Crafting Inclusive Shadow Reports for CEDAW,”
Attack Women’s Organizing,” IGLHRC, 2005.
IGLHRC, 2009, http://www.iglhrc.org/content/equal-and-
indivisible-crafting-inclusive-shadow-reports-cedaw. 21 Anti-gay Christian fundamentalists hijack Singapore women’s

20 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
This research therefore takes into consideration of women, including women deprived of
the close correlation between general gender their liberty, refugees, asylum-seeking and
inequality and the additional oppression of LBT migrant women, stateless women, lesbian
individuals. The rights of LBT people are usually women, disabled women, women victims of
more repressed and even more seriously violated trafficking, widows and elderly women are
in country contexts where heterosexual women particularly vulnerable to discrimination
and cisgender women (self-identified gender through civil and penal laws, regulations,
conforms to their biological sex assigned at birth) and customary laws and practices.
suffer routine human rights violations.
– CEDAW General Recommendation 28
on the core obligation of States.22
When Discrimination is Violence Not all discrimination can be labeled violence
although discriminatory laws and policies often
The obligation to protect requires that State
motivate violent practices. For instance, discrim-
parties protect women from discrimination
ination can lead to physical and verbal violence,
by private actors and take steps directly
and may be used to rationalize violence. Con-
aimed at eliminating customary and all
versely, violence motivated by deviation from gen-
other practices that perpetuate the notion
dered norms is, in itself, a form of discrimination.
of inferiority or superiority of either of the
sexes, and of stereotyped roles for men and
In keeping with international human rights law,
women…. State parties have an obligation
the research recognizes that freedom from violence
not to cause discrimination against women
depends on the promotion and protection of
through acts or omissions; they are further
other rights (right to freedom of expression, right
required to react actively against discrimi-
to health, right to employment, right to adequate
nation against women, regardless of whether
housing, right to form a family, right to equal pro-
such acts or omissions are perpetrated by the
tection of the law – see the Yogyakarta Principles).23
State or by private actors…. State parties
The research also acknowledges that violence against
have an obligation to take steps to modify or
LBT individuals is not only motivated by rejection
abolish existing laws, regulations, customs
of sexual orientation, gender identity and gender
and practices, which constitute discrim-
expression, but in some instances rejection of other
ination against women. Certain groups
identity markers (e.g., race, ethnicity, class, economic
status, religion), which increases the chances that
LBT people will face violence.
group,” Fridae, April 10, 2009, http://www.fridae.asia/
newsfeatures/2009/04/10/2257.anti-gay-christian-fundamentalists-
hijack-singapore-womens-group. In Singapore, a conservative In our research, we distinguish between discrimina-
Christian women’s group ousted the leadership of AWARE, the tion that has violent expression, violence that is mo-
country’s largest women’s organization following the screening of tivated by stigma and discrimination, and violence
a Taiwanese film featuring lesbians. The women’s organization had that is not motivated by discrimination. We look
previously refused repeated requests by its lesbian membership to at discrimination and disempowerment of LBT
include lesbian issues into its shadow reports to CEDAW. After the
people and how this marginalization is experienced
religious backlash, AWARE fought back and regained its leadership
but became even more resistant to being “associated” with lesbian as violence, recognizing the relationship between
issues. In Indonesia, several LBT supportive women’s organizations,
including the National Women’s Commission of Indonesia
refused to include LBT issues in their written and verbal reports
22 United Nations, CEDAW/C/GC/28 (December 16, 2010),
to CEDAW for fear that Muslim conservatives would accuse them
available from http://daccess-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/
of advocating same sex marriage. See Grace Poore, “Indonesian
G10/472/60/PDF/G1047260.pdf?OpenElement.
Women Exposed to Backlash,” WomensENews, August 21, 2012,
http://www.iglhrc.org/press-room/iglhrc-news/indonesian-lbt- 23 “ The Yogyakarta Principles,” Yogyakartaprinciples.org, March
women-exposed-backlash. 2007, http://www.yogyakartaprinciples.org/principles_en.htm.

Cross-Country Analysis 21
discrimination and violence. The following criteria as noted by Sri Lankan feminist thinker, Jayanthi
served as guidelines for the researchers in identify- Kuru-Utumpala, who says that categorizing the
ing when to include instances of discrimination in term “lesbian” as a Western identity “allows the
this research on violence: government and non-governmental institutions
to dismiss the need for protective legislation for
• Discriminatory country conditions that
[LGBT] people on the basis that such sexual
cause physical or psychological harm, or
behavior is a bad influence from the West.” This
increase the severity or frequency of physical
justification for inaction becomes another way of
violence (e.g., vigilante attacks).
invisibilizing women’s non-conforming sexual ori-
• Discrimination that justifies and contributes entation, gender identity or gender expression.25
to particular types of violence on the basis of
non-conforming sexual orientation, gender
identity and gender expression (e.g., rape to LBT people struggled with naming family
“correct” or “convert” lesbians). violence as violence and family members as
perpetrators.
• Discriminatory State actions that encourage
certain types of violators, such as religious
officers, or perpetrator impunity, such as in The report includes the violence that LBT people
mob attack or gang rape. experienced even if individuals did not name the
experience as violence. In many cases, individuals
• Discriminatory country conditions that
internalized a narrow understanding of violence
become the justification for the State’s in-
(e.g., that non-physical violence is not violence),
action when violence occurs, and/or when
were reluctant to name violent actions by family
it results in institutional mistreatment of
as violence, or perceived the violence they suffered
LBT victims of violence.
as justified because they accepted the reasons
given by the perpetrator. We also include violence
that LBT individuals did not attribute to sexual
Politics of Naming Violence orientation, gender identity and gender expression,
for example, when an interviewee said, “I wasn’t
Terms such as homophobia and transphobia as
out so the violence could not have been due to
motivators for violence were avoided as they are
my relationship with other girls.” When analyzing
imprecise. The research questions and interviewers
these experiences as violence, researchers took into
strived to be specific by listing types of violence
consideration the general human rights situation
and naming reasons for violence rather than
in the country and how it affected LBT people’s
assuming common agreement, understanding or
lives. In other words, researchers integrated
even acceptance of such terms.
the sentiment that LBT rights and experiences
did not exist in a vacuum. They looked at how
Researchers accepted and applied any and all
country or community contexts contributed to
terminology for sexual orientation and gender
misconceptions about violence against individuals
identity used in the research countries. Interview
with non-conforming sexual orientation, gender
respondents could self-identify their sexual orien-
identity and gender expression.
tation and gender identity, which included reject-
ing Western and/or English-language categories
So-called “private” violence had multiple meanings
for non-conforming sexual orientation, gender
and evoked varied responses from LBT people in
identity and gender expression. However, the
politics of language goes beyond terminology,24
25 Jayanthi Kuru-Utumpala, “Butching It Up: An Analysis of
Same Sex Female Masculinity in Sri Lanka,” Culture, Health &
24 A glossary of terminology is included in each country Sexuality, July 18, 2013, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13691058.201
chapter of this report. 3.807520.

22 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
the research. First, it was defined by the fact that
it occurred in the private sphere of the home and
family. Second, when the perpetrator was a family
member or someone intimately linked to the
victims, many experienced the violence as a private
matter, which implied an imperative to avoid
public exposure of the family or relationship.
Third, many victims experienced a keen need
to keep reasons for the violence (for being gay
or transgender) private, which often translated
into a need to ensure that the violence itself went
unnoticed by the State, co-workers, employers,
neighbors and friends. For many LBT people, there
was also the fear of being subjected by the media
to unwanted exposure of their identities, such as
being “outed” (having one’s sexual orientation or
gender identity revealed without permission or
inadvertently). Fourth, when victims perceived
of violence as a “personal issue,” they also saw the
ability to cope with this violence as a personal
responsibility and not something for which they
were entitled to institutional assistance.
They rationalized the violence they experienced
as somehow justified for bringing disharmony
and inconvenience to their families due to
the shame associated with having an LBT
family member.
In many countries, women’s right to privacy
was routinely ignored or violated, particularly
when it came to issues related to their sexuality
or reproduction. In such circumstances, the
notion of “private” violence had even greater
implications, as LBT people were caught in a
spiral of mutually reinforcing notions that because
the violence was private it was an individual’s
personal responsibility to deal with violence,
and not dealing with it became the focus rather
than the perpetrator’s actions. All of these factors
have multiple implications for intervention and
prevention efforts by the State and by NGOs;
meanings surrounding private violence tend
to discount the impact of State neglect and
the importance of State accountability to those
it governs and commitments to national and
international human rights standards.
Skewed reporting in the five research countries
contributed to the general misunderstanding about
(and discounting of) the gravity and prevalence of
violence that LBT people experienced, the impact
of this violence, as well as the virtual impossibility of
seeking assistance to deal with violence. For instance,
LBT people and the violence they experienced were
often not even a footnote in most NGO reports on
violence against women. LBT people were excluded
in national action plans to end violence against
women and missing from national campaigns
such as Sixteen Days of Activism to end violence
against women.26 At the same time, most reports
by LGBT organizations on violence based on sexual
orientation and gender identity did not include
violence perpetrated by family members, intimate
partners, and employers, since preference was given
to violence by State perpetrators, violence resulting
in deaths, and violence outside the home. Even
human rights reports that had started mentioning
violations against LGBT people focused less on
lesbians, bisexual women and transmen than on
gay men and transwomen – and did not take on
violence in the private realm.
It was not surprising that even members of
ministries of women’s affairs, national women’s
commissions, and national human rights institutions
who were conscious of general discrimination
against LGBT populations were unaware that
violence experienced by LBT people was systemic,
frequent, and severely under-reported.27
26 A global campaign launched in 1991 by the Center for
Women’s Global Leadership. See “16 Days of Activism Against
Gender Violence Campaign,” Rutgers School of Arts and
Sciences website, http://16dayscwgl.rutgers.edu/about/activist-
origins-of-the-campaign.
27 In Malaysia, a former human rights commissioner was skeptical
about the level of violence against LGBT people because he
said the Commission hardly received complaints, which led
him to conclude that the situation was not as bad as activists
claimed. He himself was publicly opposed to LGBT people
having any rights. (Author’s conversation with Suhakam
Commissioner, Khaled Ibrahim on May 5. 2009 in Yogyakarta,
Indonesia during a workshop convened by the Asia Pacific
Forum.) A Philippines human rights commissioner said the
commission could not commit resources to investigating
violence against LBT people without receiving prevalence data.
(Angie Umbac, Skype research coordinators meeting with IGLHRC,
Cross-Country Analysis 23
The reality, however, as Rashida Manjoo,
Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women,
explains is that “[v]iolence motivated by hatred
and prejudice based on sexual orientation and
gender identity is a daily reality for many. It is
‘characterized’ by levels of serious physical violence,
that in some cases exceed those present in other
types of hate crimes.”28
VIOLENCE AGAINST “WOMEN”
IS A CONTENTIOUS TOPIC
Violence against women is any act of
gender-based violence that is directed
against a woman because she is a woman
or that affects women disproportionately. It
includes acts that inflict physical, sexual or
mental harm and suffering, threats of such
acts, coercions, and other deprivations of
liberty... [that] impairs or nullifies the enjoy-
ment by women of human rights and funda-
mental freedoms under general international
law or under human rights conventions….
— CEDAW Committee, General
Recommendation 1929
Feminist research on violence against women has
established that although different forms of violence
do not fall into “discrete analytic categories,”30 there
is an interlinked spectrum of violent behaviors that
June 15, 2011). In Thailand, which is not one of the research
countries in this study, a human rights commissioner dismissed
reports that butch lesbians and toms were being targeted for hate
killings. Despite news reports of nearly fifteen lesbian fatalities,
he claimed there was no pattern to the crimes despite police
investigations that showed the killers were “jealous” boyfriends or
men who felt rebuffed by women who chose to be in a same sex
relationship than with men. See “Letter to Thai Officials: Killings of
Lesbian Women and Transgender People in Thailand,” IGLHRC,
March 22, 2012, http://www.iglhrc.org/content/letter-thai-officials-
killings-lesbian-women-and-transgender-people-thailand.
28 United Nations, Report Of The Special Rapporteur On Violence
Against Women, Its Causes and Consequences, Rashida
Manjoo, A/HRC/20/16 (May 23, 2012)
29 CEDAW Committee, General Recommendation 19 on Violence
Against Women, background general comments 6 & 7. (1992).
30 Liz Kelly, Surviving Sexual Violence (Cambridge: Polity, 1989).
24 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
reinforce each other and reproduce power imbal-
ances. Feminist theory has also been crucial to the
identification of perpetrators and to the interrogation
of not only our understanding of what constitutes
violence, but also of the silence surrounding
particular forms of violence against women. For
instance, feminist activism and research31 on the
prevalence, characteristics and impact of intimate
partner violence forced the public’s acknowledgment
of intimate partner violence as a social problem.
Advocates for marginalized and vulnerable
populations are reluctant to mention sexual
orientation and gender identity even when
they are discussing sexuality.
The phenomenon of “corrective” rape32 by family
and community members has been recognized
as a human rights violation on the basis of sexual
orientation, gender identity and gender expression.
That said, transgender activists and scholars have
challenged the conflation of issues relating to
sexual orientation, gender identity and gender
expression, such as the use of the term “LBT
women” when referring to lesbians, bisexual
women and transgender people. They also rightly
point out that the CEDAW Convention is silent
on discrimination and violence on the basis of
gender identity and gender expression.
Naming and describing violence has powerful
political as well as practical consequences. Across
all regions, feminists and women’s groups have
observed that when violence against women is
delinked from social norms and societal attitudes,
legal change falters; State interventions and preven-
31 Many feminists in Asia and elsewhere have excluded transgender
men and women in their analysis, scholarship, and activism.
32 “Corrective” rape is sexual assault perpetrated by men against
women with non-conforming sexual orientation or gender
expression, to “cure” or “correct” the victim’s actual or perceived
lesbianism or transgenderism, and is based on the attacker’s
assumption that sexual intercourse with a man will revert a
lesbian to heterosexuality and cisgender expression. Perpetrators
can be strangers or known to the victim/survivor; they can be
members of the victim/survivor’s social network or family.
tion measures are not successful. As noted earlier,
women’s safety and security are inextricably tied
to women’s equality. For example, when the
country conditions are hostile to women and
girls, and when States are neglectful of women’s
lives, all women are at risk, including: lesbi-
ans, bisexual women, gender non-conforming
women (butch lesbians, women who dress in
masculine attire, male to female transgender
women), and as this research shows, female-to-
male transgender men.
When the State or religious and community leaders
contend that certain customary practices do not
amount to violence, it becomes controversial to
name these practices as violence, such as husband’s
“entitlement” to sex, the discriminatory treatment
of daughters by parents, or punishing women for
not conforming to societal expectations regarding
female morality and respectability. In this context,
it is challenging to draw attention to invisible, un-
acknowledged, condoned or commonly accepted
forms of violence (e.g., marital rape, intimate
partner violence and forced marriage). Asia is not
unique in this regard. Across all regions, laws,
culture, religion, patriotism, and nationalism are
subverted and used to regulate sexuality and gender
appropriate behavior. Suzanne Pharr, author of
Homophobia: A Weapon of Sexism, notes, “[p]art of
the way sexism stays in place is the societal promise
of survival, false and unfulfilled as it is, that women
will not suffer violence if we attach ourselves to a
man to protect us. A woman without a man is told
she is vulnerable to violence, and worse, that there
is something wrong with her.”33
Ideological Roots of Violence
This research sets out to document structural-
cultural violence against women and people with
non-conforming sexual orientation, gender identity
and gender expression. In other words, it aims to
show that the violence committed against LBT
people by individual, institutional and State
33 Suzanne Pharr, Homophobia A Weapon Of Sexism (Revised)
(Berkeley: Chardon Press, 1997).
perpetrators is not random but has ideological
roots. Furthermore, it shows that certain deeply
held beliefs and ideologies are deployed to validate
and encourage this violence. On the one hand,
there are social norms premised on heterosexuality
and on the existence of two genders only – men
and women – with gender identities that conform
to the sex they were assigned at birth. These norms
serve as the only acceptable standards of identity,
behaviors and relationships. On the other hand,
there are prevailing beliefs, sometimes justified with
reference to religion, that LBT people are “un-
natural,” “immoral,” or against a specific religion.
These misconceptions support and serve as the
foundation for institutional and individual levels
of violence against people who defy social and
religious norms regarding expressions of sexuality
and gender.
The risk for physical, verbal, and even sexual
violence was greater when LBT people’s
sexual orientation, gender identity and gender
expression were more visible.
In Asia and elsewhere, the added layer of vulnerability
for people with non-conforming gender expression
is that they are targeted for defying the assumption
of heterosexuality and gender norms (through their
clothing, hair, behavior, speech, and who they part-
ner with). For instance, women who appear or are
perceived as “typically masculine,” men who appear
or are perceived to be “typically feminine,” or trans-
gender (male-to-female) and transgender (female-to-
male) individuals become targets for violence.34
No doubt, gay and bisexual men – like lesbians,
bisexual women and people with non-conforming
gender identity and gender expression – are also at
risk for homophobic violence and discrimination.
However, LBT people contend with the normal-
ization and minimization of violence against them
because of the status accorded to all women in Asian
societies and elsewhere. Women’s lower social status
34 These are by no means exhaustive distinctions among women
or between women and gender non-conforming individuals.
Cross-Country Analysis 25
contributes to the invisibility of and lack of attention
paid to violence against lesbian, bisexual and trans-
gender women. To cite Suzanne Pharr, “homophobia
works effectively as a weapon of sexism because it is
joined with a powerful arm, heterosexism. Hetero-
sexism creates the climate for homophobia with its
assumption that the world is and must be heterosex-
ual.”35 This analysis applies also to transphobia. Often
effeminate men, masculine women, transgender
women and transgender men are particularly vul-
nerable to violence because, like lesbians and bisex-
ual women, they challenge prevailing (patriarchal)
notions of masculinity and femininity.
The research undertaken for this report by LBT
activists in Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines
and Sri Lanka clearly shows that heterosexism
and homophobia, along with the assumption that
there are only two genders (gender binary), work
together “to enforce compulsory heterosexuality.”
The State, religious institutions, and the family
perpetuate compulsory heterosexuality; but femi-
nists across Asia and elsewhere have long pointed
out that the family in particular is one of the
most powerful tools of patriarchy.
Consequently, even if anti-homosexuality
legislation36 does not explicitly include lesbi-
anism, lesbians and bisexual women are still
vulnerable. This vulnerability is linked, firstly,
to the deeply entrenched and uncontested role
that Asian families play in policing women’s
sexualities. Secondly, it is linked to the failure
of nearly all Asian governments to curb family
violence in order to advance the human rights
of women, including: non-discrimination,
safety from violence, sexual autonomy, and
bodily integrity, including the rights to refuse
to marry, to choose with whom they partner,
and whether or when to have children.
35 Homophobia A Weapon Of Sexism (Revised) (Berkeley:
Chardon Press, 1997).
36 For instance, British colonial laws that criminalize anal sex, oral
sex, under the rubric of “crimes against nature.”
26 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
Asian lesbian and bisexual women’s access to
public spaces is also influenced by the level of
gender-based violence that women in general
contend with in the public sphere, and by
pervasive societal attitudes about female victims
of rape and sexual assault. Consequently, in
places where women in general are expected to
remain exclusively or predominantly in private
spaces and where they are shamed as responsible
for sexual assault if they report rape or other
attacks, LBT people tend not to report the
violence they face. Stigma and mistreatment by
the police are barriers to LBT people reporting
violence based on sexual orientation or gender
expression. The general narrow understanding
of what constitutes rape influences how the State
and public respond to sexual violence against
transgender individuals. As noted in this research
by LBT rape victims, rapes were mistreated
during investigation or not investigated at all,
only adding to fears of reporting and the risk
of additional victimization.
That said, violence against transgender women
who are sex workers is disproportionately and
sensationally reported in the media, reinforcing
the idea that the violence transgender women face
is solely due to the illegality of their work and/or
that all transgender women are sex workers. On
the other hand, violence against transgender men
remains under-reported, under-investigated and
under-documented.37
37 Although the general invisibility of and silences around
transgender men’s issues is a recognized concern among
Asian lesbian groups that focus on gender-based violence,
the concern seldom translates into concrete steps to address
these gaps. The invisibility of transmen is also noticed in a
2012 review of HIV research in the Asia Pacific region, which
repeatedly mentions the lack of studies or research data on
transmen. See United Nations Development Programme, Lost
In Transition: Transgender People, HIV Vulnerability in the Asia
Pacific Region (2013).

ANALYSIS OF
REGIONAL FINDINGS
1
Laws prohibiting violence against
women in Asia are discriminatory
and do not extend protections to
women and transgender people with
non-conforming sexual orientation, gender
identity and gender expression.
The language of anti-domestic violence, anti-rape,
and anti-sexual harassment laws in the research
countries was exclusionary at the time of research
and continues to be so in 2014. Malaysia and
Pakistan have no domestic violence protections for
LBT people in same-sex relationships. In countries
like Sri Lanka, where the domestic violence law
covers de facto couples, LBT people were still
unable to access these laws for redress38 because
of two other laws: the existing anti-sodomy law,
which criminalizes lesbianism; and the imperson-
ation law, which makes it a crime to “deceive the
public” by impersonating a person one is not,
and which can be invoked against people with
non-conforming gender expression. Both laws
carry severe penalties, thus depriving LBT people
of even those few options for protection and safety
that theoretically are available to heterosexual
cisgender women. On the other hand, in the
Philippines, where adult consensual same-sex
relations are not criminalized and there is an
inclusive domestic violence law, LBT individuals
reported poor implementation of the law, especially
at police stations, domestic violence shelters, and
domestic violence desks at hospitals. According
to LBT anti-violence activists, these sectors “have
been slow to accept the law” and inadequately (if
at all) apply domestic violence protocols for LBT
victims of domestic violence.
Marital rape is not criminalized in Sri Lanka,
Malaysia, Pakistan, Japan or Philippines. Rape
38 In fact, no lesbians have tested Sri Lanka’s domestic violence
law in court.
is only legally recognized if a couple is judicially
separated or the marriage is considered void ab
initio (void under the law – for instance, because
the woman is under the marital age). While some
of the lesbians in the research who were raped in
forced heterosexual marriages could have sought
redress under this law, sexual violence created
shame and demanded silence to avoid humiliation
and other recriminations. In the situations where
lesbians were pressured into marriage, there was
little or no parental support for lesbian or gender-
variant daughters.
Sexual harassment policies in Japan assume that
sexual harassment only applies to “ordinary,” (i.e.,
cisgender) women. Transgender people who had
been sexually harassed in the workplace said they
found it difficult to report the violence and have
it taken seriously by authorities. It was difficult
for individuals to even name the violence when it
occurred because policies systematically overlooked
employees who are not cisgender, thus making it
onerous to even try to hold perpetrators account-
able. In addition, the Japanese Criminal Code
defines rape as non-consensual sexual intercourse
with a girl/woman who is thirteen and above.39 This
national law has a less rigorous standard than the
local ordinances enacted by Japanese municipalities
that criminalize non-consensual sex with minors
(under eighteen) although the ordinances do not
call sexual violence against this age group rape.40
Only the Philippines had expanded its definition of
rape from the usual limited definition of penile-
vaginal penetration to include penetration with “any
object or instrument.” Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan and
Sri Lanka still used the limited definition.
Labor law protections were generally inaccessible
to LBT people because sexual orientation, gender
identity and gender expression are not recognized
grounds for discrimination and harassment.
39 The age specification is likely in reference to non-consensual
sex outside the legal age of marriage – sixteen for women in
Japan. It is eighteen for men.
40 Clarification provided by Japan research coordinator, Azusa
Yamashita via email communication on November 18, 2013.
Cross-Country Analysis 27
Further, discrimination and violence were
sometimes justified or overlooked because of the
victim-survivor’s economic status, age, or other
status interlinked with non-conforming sexual-
ity and/or gender. For instance, a non-Muslim41
transgender woman in Malaysia recalled that her
employers slapped, beat her up, and threw hot
water at her because of her gender expression. She
was a teenager at the time, from a poor family.
Given her family’s low economic status, her age,
and her non-conforming gender, she instinctively
knew that she could not report the violence to
police or other authorities. In this case, a com-
bination of factors was the basis for violence and
also made reporting difficult.
LBT victims of violence are disadvantaged even
before they can seek redress for violence.
While there was no national legislation prohib-
iting violence or discrimination against sexual
minorities in any of the countries involved in
this research, there was an arsenal of laws used
by the authorities to persecute LBT people. One
category of laws criminalized behavior, which is
usually imputed exclusively to LGBT people (e.g.,
Penal Code provisions in Malaysia, Pakistan and Sri
Lanka that penalize anal sex and oral sex). While
these laws in theory applied to everyone, regardless
of sexual orientation, in their implementation
they targeted same-sex relations (including sex
between women), even if there was no specific
evidence that the prohibited act had taken place
at all. In other words, although the penal code
prohibits a specific act, it was a specific identity
that was ultimately punished.
Laws ostensibly meant to police and control public
spaces, such as vagrancy, loitering, and public order
laws, were used in four of the five research countries
(Japan was the exception) to target people because
of their appearance even if they were not engaged
41 In this case, this individual did not have to contend with being
penalized under sharia law or being reported to religious
authorities.
28 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
in the criminalized behavior. Police and other
law officials made reference to these laws when
they targeted transgender women who happened
to be talking on the street or eating at an outside
food stall, or lesbian couples in public spaces
(where one partner is clearly butch). A third
category of laws was used to punish specific
LBT behaviors (e.g., Sri Lanka’s impersonation
law was applied to trans people for “cheating
the public”), Philippines’ grave scandal law was
applied to lesbians and trans people in particular
(for “offending decency and good customs”),
and Malaysia’s anti-cross dressing law was
applied to trans persons. Finally, there were
provisions in sharia (Islamic) law that specifically
prohibited and punished male homosexuality
and lesbianism (in Pakistan and Malaysia) and
transgenderism (in Malaysia).42
In fact, many parts of the criminal law were
blatantly misused against LBT people. In the
Philippines, laws to prevent kidnapping, illegal
detention and “crimes against liberty” were used
against butch lesbians and transmen. Families
who objected to same-sex relationships filed false
complaints of abduction to forcefully break up
couples that had eloped. In Pakistan, the research
team argued that lesbians and bisexual women
were vulnerable to family violence and random
stranger violence43 if their identities were discov-
ered. 44 They pointed to the Obscenity Laws 290
42 The Pakistan Supreme Court ruled in favor of the rights of
transgender women who are known as hijras and khwajasaras.
The 2009 ruling granted State welfare benefits to transwomen
and called for the legal creation of a third gender category.
Basim Usmani, “Pakistan To Register Third Sex Hijras,”
The Guardian, July 18, 2009, http://www.guardian.co.uk/
commentisfree/2009/jul/18/pakistan-transgender-hijra-third-sex.
43 This fear was exacerbated when a progressive governor of
Punjab was assassinated by his bodyguard for criticizing the
Blasphemy Law. The killer was championed by religious groups.
“Punjab Governor Salman Taseer Assassinated In Islamabad,”
BBC, January 4, 2011, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-
asia-12111831.
44 IGLHRC has received confidential email and telephone
complaints from individuals inside Pakistan (unrelated to this
research) who have been threatened with violence by religious
groups and neighbors, based on the “suspicion” that they are
gay and/or because the confidential location where they regularly
and 294, which penalize “obscene acts” and to
the Blasphemy Law,45 which punishes anyone
from Pakistan who defames Islam and Prophet
Muhammad or questions this law. The Pakistan
researchers noted that there was general fear
in the LBT community of being targeted by
these laws, borne out by strangers, neighbors,
or university students invoking their right to
defend Islam when perpetrating violence against
gay men, lesbians and bisexuals.
2
Emotional violence was the most
commonly reported form of violence
for LBT people in Asia.
LBT people interviewed for this research identified
emotional violence as the most prevalent form of
violence they experienced. The emotional violence
occurred across domains – outside the home and
in the home, by State and non-State perpetrators.
For instance, State actors and families both used
references to religion to condemn and punish
non-conformity. According to respondents,
emotional violence intensified over time and
usually preceded physical violence. For instance,
one third of LBT interviewees in Malaysia who
experienced emotional violence reported that the
verbal hostilities and pressure to conform from
family eventually escalated to physical violence,
often over a period of years. As noted by sociologist
Steven Onken, a single violent incident or situation
can manifest several mutually reinforcing aspects of
violence, meaning that categorizations of violence
are not exclusive but are overlapping.46 Many LBT
people in this research experienced individual acts
of violence as part of a campaign of violence; in
their experience, acts of violence usually were not a
one-off occurrence.
meet was compromised. These reports are on file at IGLHRC.
45 “The Kafkaesque Reality of Pakistan’s Blasphemy Laws,” New
Statesman, February 28, 2013, http://www.newstatesman.com/
politics/2013/02/kafkaesque-reality-pakistans-blasphemy-laws.
46 Lacey M. Sloan and Nora Gustavsson (eds.), “Conceptualizing
Violence Against Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Intersexual and
Transgendered People” in Violence and Social Injustice Against
Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual People (New York: Haworth Press, 1998).
Types of emotional violence against LBT people
in the public sphere included social ostracism,
stigmatization, verbal denigration, religious
condemnation, posting homophobic and trans-
phobic insults online, threatening to publicly
expose the sexual orientation and gender identity
of particular individuals, threatening to cause
bodily harm, threats of rape, and publicly ‘outing’
or disclosing individuals’ sexual orientation
and gender identity. The disclosure of sexual
orientation and gender identity generally resulted
in additional exclusion or violence, including loss
of employment, school expulsion, and punishment
by authorities. Perpetrators of these types of
violence included employees of State institutions,
strangers/members of the public, religious officers,
employers, co-workers, school peers, acquaintances,
landlords and neighbors.
Several LBT interviewees testified that they
had been subject to sexual violence by family
members from childhood.
Emotional violence in the private sphere was
perpetrated by family members or partners of
LBT individuals, and included verbal hostilities,
restrictions on socializing (such as imposing
curfews and house/room confinement), gender
norm enforcement (forced to dress and behave
according to social norms), or mistreatment
“simply for being women.” Other types of emotional
violence involved severing of family ties, public
shaming, privacy invasions, economic retaliation
such as withdrawing financial support, eviction,
prolonged silent treatment, and treating individuals
as persona non grata (e.g., consistently ignoring a
person as if they were not in the room and speaking
about them in the third person). Families also
forced individuals to end intimate relationships,
and/or forced individuals into mental health
therapy or religious counseling, the coercive
aspects of which amounted to emotional violence.
Cross-Country Analysis 29
3 Family was the primary perpetrator of
SOME EXPLANATIONS FOR
violence against LBT people in Asia. CENTRALITY OF FAMILY VIOLENCE
Several factors could explain why family violence
LBT people in this research pointed to family was so deeply felt by the interviewees. In Asia,
violence as the primary source of violence in their the family is the most powerful enforcer of social
lives. Family perpetrators inflicted physical violence norms, standards of respectability, morality, and
and sexual violence (discussed below under religious teachings (e.g., having “almost absolute
sub-section 4) as well as emotional violence control over the individual”). Despite women’s or-
(discussed earlier). “Dominant” male members of ganizing and the insistence of feminist groups in
the family were reported to be the main perpetrators Asia that the state should penalize violence against
of physical and sexual violence, including child women in the home (e.g., domestic violence,
sexual violence (discussed later in this chapter). forced marriage, and marital rape), Asian govern-
ments prefer not to regulate the family, particu-
Physical violence by family members included larly in matters deemed “private.”
beating, punching, slapping, use of objects as
weapons, and forced hair cutting or head shaving.
The perpetrators justified this form of violence as Family violence became a foundational setting
“corrective” violence to punish people for their for violence and discrimination experienced
non-conforming sexual orientation, gender identity later in life outside the home.
and gender expression as this non-conformity
was viewed as disobeying cultural expectations,
Sexual orientation and gender identity were so
defying parental authority, insulting religion, or
integral to personhood for our interviewees –
bringing shame on the family.
as in society as a whole – that when their family
became a place of danger and even hatred, they
Typically, families targeted “tomboy” girls, lesbians
internalized a negative message that predictably
with very short hair, girls “liking” other girls, and
left a deep feeling of rejection. Another possible
transgender girls for their “feminine tendencies.”
explanation for the reporting about family violence
These “feminine tendencies” included wearing
is that this violence could be experienced as a deep
women’s clothing, or as noted in the Pakistan and
betrayal, which understandably then carried
Malaysia research, taking on stereotypical women’s
particular significance for victims/survivors,
roles in the family, such as cooking and cleaning.
as conveyed in the Philippines report: “family
The age of victim did not appear to influence
is family and you don’t throw away your family.”
violent behaviors. For example, the father of a
Findings across all the research countries showed
transgender woman in Malaysia beat her from the
that family violence had what interviewees explained
time she was a toddler because “she looked like a
as great, long lasting impact on themselves and others
girl” and asked other family members to mistreat
in their communities such as: debilitating sadness;
her as well because of her gender expression.
eroded self-esteem; damaged self confidence;
symptoms often associated with post traumatic
The weight given to family violence surprised all
stress disorder (PTSD), such as hyper vigilance,
the research teams considering the level of violence
anger issues, self injury (cutting, burning skin),
also reported by the interviewees in other contexts,
and alcohol and drug dependence. Interviewees
including: from the State, through government
also referred to family violence as a key reason for
officials such as police, religious officers, military
attempted suicide in some of the countries.
officers, members of state-controlled media, state
agencies (e.g. passport control and identity card
Many of the LBT individuals interviewed were
officers) and healthcare personnel; or outside the
compelled to leave home at a young age because
home, such as on the streets, schools and workplace.
of violence, which – in combination with other

30 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
types of rejection – had lasting consequences
in their lives. In Japan, Malaysia and Philippines,
transgender individuals who experienced a
combination of family violence in the home and
at school dropped out of school early, which
respondents indicated caused long-term disrupted
education, lost employment opportunities and
difficulty gaining financial independence. In this
manner, family violence became a foundational
setting for violence and discrimination experienced
later in life outside the home.
Mainstream women’s organizations repeatedly
describe the incredible struggles of women in
heterosexual, cisgender marriages when they
experience spousal violence that is framed by
compulsory heterosexuality, such as: re-victim-
ization by insensitive and biased police officers
and poorly trained judges, difficulties obtain-
ing protection orders, lack of safe affordable
housing, high levels of retaliation against women
who report violence by their husbands or in-laws,
and lack of viable options for women to support
themselves and their children without financial
support. In all of these cases, intimate partner
violence is compounded by stigma, shame and
blaming of women for the violence they experience.
Additionally, women who leave violent relationships
are at high risk for retaliatory violence by the
husband or partner.47
Legal protections like protection orders
were not an option for most of the LBT
respondents.
The struggle for safety was much more pronounced
when there was violence in same-sex relationships.
Not only were LBT people’s relationships treated
as de facto (legally unrecognized) but in most of
the research countries, they were also criminal-
ized and condemned as immoral. Consequently,
legal protections like protection orders were not an
47 Chic Dabby, Hetana Patel and Grace Poore, “Shattered Lives:
Homicides, Domestic Violence And Asian Families,” Asia &
Pacific Islander Institute on Domestic Violence, February 2010,
http://www.apiidv.org/violence/homicide.php.
option for most of the LBT respondents. Asking
for police or other intervention was too risky
for both the victim and the same-sex perpetrator
because of the presence of sodomy laws, morality
laws and religious law that shifted the focus of
the laws away from victim protection and violence
prevention to penalizing LBT people for the nature
of their relationship (i.e., same-sex and therefore
“against the order of nature.”) Furthermore, the
general silences about (and relative invisibility of )
same-sex partner violence made it difficult for
victims to disclose what was happening in their
relationship and obtain LBT-sensitive services.
The risks of disclosing same-sex partner violence also
meant negative publicity, community ostracism, and
being outed in an LGBT hostile climate.
Visibility of non-conforming gender
expression may be an added motivator
for families to force LBT individuals into
heterosexual marriage.
Forced marriage was an example of family
violence that involved emotional and some-
times physical violence. The Pakistan research
team spoke to several lesbians and bisexual
women who were forced into heterosexual
marriages by their parents, and who, at that
time, had already been experiencing other kinds
of violence from their parents. Interviewees left
the violence of one household (natal home)
only to enter the violence of another household
(marital home) with husbands who physically,
verbally and sexually battered them. Entering
violent marriages was thus the continuation of
violence perpetrated by the family of origin.
Furthermore, marital rape was a contested issue
in all the five research countries, with members
of legislatures defending husbands’ entitlement
to sex in marriage, and religious leaders attacking
women’s right to refuse or choose if and when
they wanted sex with their husbands. While
forced marriage is a recognized problem among
heterosexual, cisgender women and girls, the
visibility of non-conforming gender expression
may be an added motivator for families to force
Cross-Country Analysis 31
LBT individuals into heterosexual marriage.
If they are subjected to spousal violence, as the
SUICIDE
Pakistan research shows, redress becomes out of Reports from all five countries indicated that many
the question. There is no recourse for individuals LBT people saw suicide as a way to deal with – and
who have defied the cultural and social norms that possibly end – the violence in their lives. Most
religious leaders impose on families, and which the noticeably, over half of the LBT interviewees in
government relies on families to uphold. the Japan study said that they had “considered sui-
cide.” This finding takes on particular signifi-
cance in light of the fact that about 30,000 people
Lesbians and bisexual women who moved out a year between 1988 and 2012 committed suicide
of the family home were living “outside the in Japan, according to the country report.50
norms of protection for women.” Sadly, a transgender man, interviewed for the
Japan study, who had frequently attempted suicide
because of the violence he was experiencing, did
kill himself before the research was completed.
Most LBT people could not freely or easily
In Sri Lanka, one-third of the LBT interviewees
move away from the family home because of
reported that they attempted suicide. There was
economic necessity. Several LBT people in this
a pattern in Sri Lanka of couple suicides by
research, particularly transgender women, who
lesbians whose families forced them to end their
did leave home to escape the “unbearable envi-
relationships and/or whose families forced them
ronment,” faced poverty because of employment
into heterosexual marriages.
discrimination and economic exploitation
(i.e., exploitative employers, absence of labor
From these findings we deduced that suicide or
law protections). They also experienced street
attempted suicide by LBT people in Asia was a
attacks and police abuse. Additionally, in Pakistan,
relatively common, or at least consciously con-
Sri Lanka and Malaysia, family and cultural
sidered, response to the nexus of hetero-normativity
expectations required daughters to remain with
and patriarchal structures of power operating
their parents until they were married, trapping
inside and outside the home. In the five countries
many lesbians and bisexual women in violent
we researched, there were no available measures
households. In such country contexts, lesbians
to counter cycles of violence. LBT individuals in
and bisexual women who moved out of the
some cases came to view suicide as the only way
family home were living “outside the norms of
to cope with the violence in their lives.
protection for women,”48 in the same way as
single heterosexual cisgender women who left

4
home. As women, regardless of gender expression, Intimate partner violence was quite
living on their own meant contending with the prevalent in Asia, including severe
risks of sexual harassment and sexual violence physical and sexual violence by
by landlords, neighbors or police – who tended violent partners.
to equate women’s autonomy with sexual
Reports from Japan, Malaysia and Sri Lanka
availability (read as male entitlement) and/
indicated that a number of LBT people inter-
or assumed that the women were engaging in
viewed for this project experienced violence in
unlawful activity (e.g., operating a brothel).49
their relationships, which in some instances was
prolonged and severe. Types of physical violence
perpetrated by partners of LBT people in this

48 Irma Morales Waugh, “Examining The Sexual Harassment

Experiences of Mexican Immigrant Farmworking Women,”
50 “Transition of the Number of People Committed Suicide,” Jiji
Violence Against Women, Vol 16 (3), March 2010.
Press, March 9, 2012, accessed on November 10, 2012, http://
49 Women’s rights activists in India and Pakistan pointed this out. www.jiji.com/jc/v?p=ve_soc_tyosa-jikenjisatsu.

32 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
research included verbal denigration, beating,
kicking, slapping, scratching, biting, choking,
flinging of objects, and infliction of physical
pain. Sexual violence included forced sexual acts
and rape. In addition, violent partners inflicted
emotional violence (e.g., verbal abuse), which oc-
curred in tandem with, or leading up to, physical
and sexual violence.
The research identified the primary perpetrators
of partner violence in Asia as same-sex partners,
dating partners, and male heterosexual cisgender
partners of lesbians and bisexual women. Other
perpetrators were cisgender and/or heterosexual
partners of transgender individuals. Lesbian partic-
ipants in this research who experienced same-sex
partner violence mainly attributed the violence to
their partners’ jealousy and possessiveness. Violence
by heterosexual male partners of bisexual women
included verbal, physical and sexual assaults to den-
igrate victims’ sexual orientation. For instance, the
boyfriend of a bisexual woman in the Philippines
beat her regularly because of her sexual orientation.
Women’s shelter programs set up specifically
to assist women fleeing violence turned away
lesbians in need of emergency shelters for
violence.
The boyfriend of a bisexual woman in Sri Lanka
accused her of sleeping with women and raped her.
Marital rape in forced marriages was an egregious
problem, which compounded family violence. A
young lesbian in Pakistan forced into a heterosexual
marriage by her family reported that her husband
regularly beat her severely for her reluctance to have
sex with him. Another young lesbian, also forced
by her family to marry, said she had to endure
the husband’s physical, verbal and sexual violence
for one year before she could justify leaving the
marriage to her family.
It is worth noting that the findings on same-sex
intimate partner violence were troublesome for
some of the research teams. Although intimate
partner violence is generally high in Asia, it is often
only looked at from the perspective of heterosexual,
cisgender women, with men as the perpetrators.
Many of the researchers were concerned that
reporting on same-sex partner violence could: show
LBT people (particularly lesbians) in a bad light;
draw attention away from findings on other kinds
of violence directed at LBT people; or not be taken
seriously, since in this instance, the violence was
perpetrated by women (so can’t be “that bad”).
They were also concerned it could invite oppor-
tunities for criminalizing LBT people instead of
providing resources to address this hidden problem.
5
Perpetrators of sexual violence against
LBT people in Asia were likely to
know their victims.
Roughly 25 percent to 50 percent of the LBT
people interviewed for this research reported
having suffered sexual violence, perpetrated
primarily by people they knew – family members,
spouses, co-workers, bosses and dating partners.
This violence was carried out mostly in the
home and workplace, and involved sexual taunts,
derogatory name-calling, lewd gestures, groping
buttocks, unwanted touching of breasts, forcing
victims to perform oral sex, forcing victims to
touch perpetrators’ genitals, coercing sex, threatening
rape, and actual rape (date rape and heterosex-
ual partner rape, including marital rape). Gang
rape of transgender women at private parties in
Pakistan was reported by one khwajasara as being
“quite normal and usual.”
Date rape stood out in the Japan report. A lesbian
who dated a heterosexual man because she believed
it “could cure her sexual orientation” was raped
by him when she refused sex. A transgender man
who believed that dating a cisgender heterosexual
man would “change back his gender to female”
was raped for refusing sex. These narratives
illustrated the negative physical and psychological
impact of coercive gender and sexuality norms,
exacerbated by male sexual violence. Some LBT
individuals believed that reverting to heterosexual
or cisgender identities would relieve their suffering
from discrimination and stigmatization on the
basis of non-conforming sexual orientation or
gender identity.
Cross-Country Analysis 33
“Corrective” rape and threats of “corrective” rape
in Asia did appear in the research. In Sri Lanka,
a bisexual woman reported that her boyfriend
regularly raped her after he found out about her
previous relationships with women. In Pakistan, a
transgender man’s girlfriend’s sister, who objected
to their relationship, recommended that the
transman should be raped “in order to convert
[him].” In Malaysia, a lesbian and former pengkid
(Malay-Muslim androgynous woman or tomboy)
received a rape threat over the telephone from
male acquaintances on campus who were aware of
her gender expression.
While the Philippines research for this project
did not mention “corrective” rape, a joint stake-
holder report submitted to the United Nations
Human Rights Council for the 2011 Philippines
Universal Periodic Review noted the State’s
failure to provide redress mechanisms for sexual
violence against LBT people, including “systematic
rape of lesbians by men to ‘correct’ and remind
lesbians that ‘they are still women.’”51 Several LBT
interviewees testified that they had been subject to
sexual violence by family members from childhood.
In the Philippines, transwomen reported being
raped, mostly by uncles.52 Most of the survivors
said they were not aware until they become adults
that what they went through is rape.
Strangers who perpetrated sexual violence on LBT
people also used physical violence. These forms
of violence were usually an escalation from verbal
denigration and condemnation. Transgender
women experienced most instances of sexual
violence by strangers, particularly if they were
sex workers or assumed to be sex workers. This
51 Submitted for 13th session of UN Universal Periodic Review
of the Philippines. The report cites research conducted by
ISIS International: “Surfacing Lesbians, Bisexual Women’s and
Transgender People’s Issues in the Philippines: Towards Affinity
Politics in the Feminist Movements” (2010), 16, http://lib.ohchr.
org/HRBodies/UPR/Documents/session13/PH/JS13_UPR_
PHL_S13_2012_JointSubmission13_E.pdf.
52 Although in many Asian cultures, the terms “uncle” or “aunty”
are also used by children to convey respect for older persons
who are not related but are family friends, in this instance, the
word uncle refers to parents’ siblings.
34 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
violence took place on the streets (all five countries),
in vehicles (Malaysia and Philippines), and at
private parties (Pakistan). Transgender victims of
sexual violence inside vehicles reported being tied
up or held hostage inside a vehicle and forced to
perform “sexual favors.” Transgender victims of
sexual violence by police in Pakistan reported that
this violence was part of police extortion. Police
officers forced transgender women sex workers to
turn over their earnings, lure customers to the sex
workers, and extort the customers.
Several disturbing misconceptions emerged in
this research with regard to the reasons for rape.
A transgender woman in Malaysia who was raped
explained the rape as “bad luck” and stated, “[t]
hat is what you get for being a girl when god
made you a boy.” A pansexual woman in Pakistan,
who was raped repeatedly in the home, blamed
herself for being physically weak and not stop-
ping the rapes. These testimonies parallel those
of many cisgender, heterosexual women who also
blame themselves when they are raped. Another
misconception about sexual violence was that
lesbians and bisexual women in Japan questioned
whether rape can even happen in the context of
female same-sex relationships. Transgender people
in Japan had the impression that sexual violence
only happened to “ordinary” (gender conforming)
women, and therefore their experiences of unwanted
touching of breasts and buttocks by co-workers or
acquaintances did not constitute sexual assault or
sexual harassment.
Some of the respondents did, however, clearly
identify the links between the sexual violence they
experienced and sexism (systematic discrimination
against the female sex) and misogyny (violent
expressions of hatred towards the female sex).
Over one-third (15 out of 50) of Japanese LBT
interviewees answered “no” when asked if sexual
violence was perpetrated against them because of
their non-conforming sexual orientation, gender
identity and gender expression. Most of these re-
spondents were lesbians, and they attributed sexual
violence to the status accorded to women in Japan.
The Pakistan report also observed that sexualized
pinching and touching of lesbians and bisexual
women by strangers in public spaces was “an
extension of the harassment all women in Pakistan
face,” and that sexual violence against LBT people
in Pakistan was “part of a larger campaign of abuse
and degradation [against] female-bodied people.”
Transgender women also attributed the violence
they experienced to their female presentation (i.e.,
gender expression). Toransu (transgender) individuals
in Japan said that perpetrators perceived them as
women and “[mis]treat[ed] them as women.” A
transgender woman in the Philippines, who survived
attempted rape, said that transgender women were
viewed as “a sex slave, a play toy.” She explained,
“It is tolerable for [cisgender] men to have sex with
a transgender because [he] is still a man and it is
[the transgender woman’s] punishment because he’s
making himself a woman.”
LBT people are overlooked and forgotten when
the State and NGOs implement measures to
stop gender-motivated family violence.
Some LBT people in the research talked about
sexual violence that they experienced as children.
A lesbian in Japan whose father sexually violated
her from the time she was in elementary school
until fifth grade said the violence was motivated
because of “being born a girl.” In Pakistan, lesbians
and bisexual women who reported being sexually
“molested” multiple times and over several years
(some as long as six years) by male relatives or
male household workers attributed the sexual
violence to the vulnerability of girl children. In
these lesbian narratives, there appeared to be
no evidence that sexual orientation or gender
expression were grounds for the sexual violence.
However, those who experienced this type of
violence concluded that they were violated be-
cause of the overall environment of sexism towards
girl children, and the particular vulnerability of
girl children to male adults in the family.
On the other hand, a transwoman in the Philippines
reported being brutally raped by her uncle when
she was eight years old. The physical injuries were
so severe that she required surgery. In this instance
the uncle, who was 20 years old, was charged and
brought to trial. The transwoman recalled that
the perpetrator and his wife justified the rape by
blaming her (an eight-year-old) for being a bakla
(Tagalog put-down for transgender woman) and
flirting or inviting the attention of the rapist
uncle. Even the judge showed this bias. Eventually,
the uncle was incarcerated.
We included narratives of child sexual violence
in the report to show that violence experienced
by LBT people occurred at different stages across
the life span. We also wanted to raise the question
of whether gender variant girls or effeminate boy
children are targeted for child sexual violence
because of their gender expression. IGLHRC
hopes that further research can be undertaken
about the sexual abuse of children in Asia to
better understand if there are any links between
sexual violence and perpetrators’ awareness of
victims’ non-conforming sexual orientation, gender
identity and gender expression. Not only do these
concerns have implications for anti-violence
initiatives but also for policy and law enforcement.
6
The greater the visibility of non-
conforming sexual orientation, gender
identity and gender expression, the
greater the frequency of violence
experienced by LBT people in Asia.
Everyone has the right to freedom of opinions
and expression, regardless of sexual orientation
and gender identity. This includes expression
of identity or personhood through speech,
deportment, dress, bodily characteristics,
choice of name, or any other means as well
as the freedom to seek, receive and impart
information and ideas of all kinds, including
with regard to human rights, sexual orientation
and gender identity, through any medium and
regardless of frontiers.
– Principle 19: The Yogyakarta Principles53
LBT visibility refers to style of dressing, type of
clothing, length of hair, manner of verbal and
53 “The Yogyakarta Principles,” Yogyakartaprinciples.org, March
2007, http://www.yogyakartaprinciples.org/principles_en.htm.
Cross-Country Analysis 35
non-verbal communication, and manner of inter-
personal interactions.
The LBT persons interviewed for this research
expressed different ways of “being out,” including:
not hiding their sexual orientation or gender iden-
tity, disclosing only to friends or family, disclosing
to family but not to employers, disclosing only
in public but not to family, or some combination
thereof. For those who were interviewed, the most
significant form of expression of sexual orientation
and gender identity was to themselves. Seeking
words to articulate emotions and desires, and
developing a sense of self and identity, were a part
of this expression. Secondarily, interviewees placed
importance on expression to the outside world,
through clothing, physical appearance, words,
actions and relationships. Relating to a partner
sexually was an integral part of this expression.
Research has shown that an individual’s capacity
for expression is critically dependent on the evalu-
ation of the expression – by herself and by others.
As Australian legal scholar Gail Mason points out,
visibility centrally shapes the incidence and effects
of violence on the basis of sexual orientation, gen-
der identity and gender expression, which makes
safety from violence a context-dependent form of
negotiation.54 Mason argues that since people are
normatively “presumed heterosexual,” those who
indicate otherwise are singled out because of the
“visibility of the transgressive sexual subject.”55
In our research, when LBT people expressed their
sexual orientation and/or gender identity, they
were negatively perceived for defying heterosexual
and binary gender norms. The negative values and
meanings associated with homosexuality, trans-
genderism, cross-dressing, and non-conforming
expressions of masculinity and femininity were
encoded in the proscriptions of culture, religion,
law, medicine, and other social ideologies and
institutions. To the individuals interviewed for
this research, the prohibitions were experienced as
either repressive, punitive, or both.
54 G
 ail Mason, “Body Maps: Envisaging Homophobia, Violence
and Safety,” Social and Legal Studies 10 (1) (2001), 23-44.
55 Ibid.
The findings of this research on violence against
LBT people showed that the risk for physical,
verbal, and even sexual violence was greater when
LBT people’s sexual orientation, gender identity
and gender expression were more visible. This
pattern was particularly noticeable in (but not
limited to) countries where religion was used to
justify intolerance, and where State policy and
views about homosexuality and transgenderism
were closely aligned with religious leaders.
Indian lawyer and human rights activist, Arvind
Narrain talks about “queer invisibility and hyper
visibility” to describe the riskiness of being out and
challenging the status quo (upheld by cultural,
religious, class, urban, rural dictates) where visibility
can completely marginalize and stigmatize LBT in-
dividuals and/or make them targets of criminal law.56
EXAMPLES OF VIOLENCE
ASSOCIATED WITH LBT VISIBILITY
In Malaysia, police and Islamic religious officers
harassed and detained mak nyahs (Malay-Muslim
transwomen) and butch lesbians more often
than feminine presenting lesbians and bisexual
women. For instance, a mak nyah was arrested at
a food stall for wearing women’s attire, charged
for “posing as women” – a criminal offence under
Malaysian sharia (Islamic) law – and subsequently
sentenced to one year in prison by the sharia
court. Strangers on the street confronted a
pengkid and her lesbian girlfriend, demanding to
know if they were lovers and warned them not to
continue their “shameful” behavior. In fact, LBT
persons testified that their parents and siblings
were stigmatized and criticized by neighbors,
friends and relatives, especially for having visibly
gender variant children or family members.
In Pakistan, the father of a transgender man
beat him frequently for wearing men’s clothes
and cutting his hair “too short.” A lesbian whose
partnership with another woman became appar-
ent to the family was beaten up by her younger
56 Arvind Narrain, Queer: Despised Sexuality, Law and Social
Change (Bangalore: Books For Change, 2004).

36 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
brother, verbally denigrated by her sister as “ugly
and disgusting,” and attacked with a knife by
her father because she had “disobeyed” social
norms. Even if Pakistani lesbians did not disclose
their sexual orientation to family members,
those who presented as butch lesbians were
“pressured” by the family to “talk, behave, and
act more womanly or feminine.” Khwajasaras
(transwomen) were beaten, slapped, kicked and
verbally ridiculed on the streets – actions in
which the police were complicit – while they
were begging or doing sex work.
In the Philippines, several men publicly assaulted
a transgender woman on the street because “they
were offended by her wearing a dress.” They beat
her up, cut her hair, called her a shame to society,
and threatened her with a gun. Transgender
women and men were physically barred from
entering or forced to vacate gender-segregated
washrooms on trains.
In Japan, a gang of high school girls grabbed a
toransu (transgender male-to-female) classmate,
tore off her clothes and demanded, “What gender
are you?”
In Sri Lanka, a group of men attacked a lesbian
who views herself as a masculine female, pinned
her against the wall and punched her in the
parking lot of a nightclub frequented by lesbians.
Formerly friendly neighbors threatened to rape
two lesbians when the neighbors realized the
women were a lesbian couple.
Workplace discrimination was also associated with
LBT visibility. According to butch lesbians, trans-
men and transwomen in Japan, Malaysia, and the
Philippines, prospective employers blatantly told
job candidates during or after job interviews that
they were not feminine or masculine enough, or
were impersonating the “wrong” gender. LBT
people in private sector jobs, whose identities
were disclosed or discovered, reported that they
were denied job promotions, opportunities to
attend trainings, or permission to interact with
employees at other branch offices of the company.
This was the case even in Japan for transgender
people who were legally recognized.
Employers who condoned LBT discrimination
opened the door to violence in the workplace
and forced LBT employees into the closet (i.e.,
compelled them to hide their sexual orientation
and gender identity). The discrimination also
discouraged reporting of workplace violence, and
shut down access to redress. This was particularly
clear for sexual violence in the workplace, which
was directly related to LBT visibility. In Japanese
work environments, transgender women reported
that they experienced unwanted sexual language
and sexualized taunts, which escalated to groping
of breasts and buttocks. Lesbians and bisexual
women who did not reveal their sexual orientation
and were assumed to be heterosexual said that they
did not experience workplace violence because of
their sexual orientation – but because they were
women (i.e., similar to the violence and sexual
harassment experienced by their heterosexual
female colleagues).
Discriminatory State policy was used to justify
blatant mistreatment of LBT people whose sexual
orientation and gender identity were visible. This
was evident in places of employment, business
establishments, media, and educational institutions.
It should not be the expectation that
individual victims need to be self-reliant
and resilient to deal with violence on their
own while waiting for State action to reduce
violence for all people.
In Malaysia, transgender women were prohib-
ited from entering clubs in the northern state of
Penang while butch lesbians and pengkids were
permitted entry only if they purchased a beverage
– sold to them at “much higher prices.” Anti-vice
officers who targeted gay clubs and saunas for
raids were more likely to exploit the discrimina-
tory environment to physically and verbally harass
mak nyah, pengkids and butch lesbians, than
those whose gender expression more easily aligned
with the prevailing (and imposed) gender norms.
In Japan, parliament passed the Gender Identity
Disorder (GID) legislation in 2003 to allow trans-
gender people to indicate their chosen gender in
Cross-Country Analysis 37
the family register once they receive a psychiatric
diagnosis of “gender identity disorder.” While this
opened the route to legal recognition for trans-
gender people, it came at the cost of compelled
medical pathologization. Moreover, it heightened
the visibility of transgender people who have
become a point of focus of media and research
groups, making legal recognition in exchange for
medical pathologization a double-edged sword in
terms of visibility. It gives Japanese toransu (trans-
gender people) greater visibility in media and
research – compared to sekumai (lesbians) and
bisexual women who are relatively invisible in the
media – but the media caricatures toransu (e.g.,
on television programs) as objects of ridicule. Vis-
ibility in this instance brought negative attention,
which contributed to the justification of violence
against Japanese toransu in schools, job sites, on
the street, and in families.
Lesbians with economic means were able
to “buy safety” by avoiding unsafe public
spaces or by extricating themselves from
potentially violent situations.
Visibility of LBT behaviors alone did not shape
the perpetration of violence in the public sphere.
Sexual orientation, gender identity and gender
expression intersected with other identity markers
such as religion, ethnicity, and economic status
to influence how LBT people were perceived and
treated, how LBT people navigated safety and
practiced self-surveillance, and how they were
resilient in the face of repressive conditions in the
public and private spheres. In Malaysia and Sri
Lanka for instance, lesbians with economic means
were able to “buy safety” by avoiding unsafe
public spaces or by extricating themselves from
potentially violent situations. One interviewee
explained, “There are certain activities I’ve cur-
tailed…certain parts of town I won’t go to, I don’t
walk on the streets, I go everywhere by car, I don’t
take public transport.” English-speaking lesbians
in Sri Lanka sometimes found that deploying
language linked with specific groups or indicat-
ing privilege helped when facing threats. One
respondent said “I spoke to him [verbal attacker]
38 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
in English because I know this always intimidates
people…after awhile, he shut up and went away.”
The intersection of ethnicity and religion with
sexual orientation, gender identity and gender
expression also affected how LBT people navi-
gated hostile terrain. Tamils make up a very small
membership of LGBT groups in Sri Lanka. One
reason is that with the history of violence and civil
war57 between the Sinhala state and Tamil groups
fighting for self-governance, LBT people of
Tamil ethnicity are at greater risk of violence than
Sinhala and Burgher LBT people in Sri Lanka.58
In Malaysia, the reverse was true: mak nyahs and
pengkids as members of a majority ethnic (Ma-
lay) and majority religious (Muslim) group were
in fact more vulnerable because of their majority
status.59 They come under greater surveillance by
State and Islamic religious institutions because
their non-conforming gender expressions made
them hypervisible. Lesbians and bisexual women
regardless of ethnicity and religion expressed
the ability to pass as “straight” women, and gay
transmen60 could pass as “straight” men. However,
57 The Sri Lanka country chapter in this report indicates 40,000
Tamil civilians were killed and 60,000 Tamil civilians were
injured in the civil war between the government of Sri Lanka
and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
58 It was difficult to find Tamil LBT people (only one came
forward) to participate in the Sri Lanka study. The snowballing
method of outreach contributed in part to this because the
researchers were less networked with the Tamil-speaking
community beyond the capital.
59 Article 160 of the Malaysian Constitution stipulates that all
ethnic Malays must be Muslim. Non-Malays can also voluntarily
choose to be Muslim.
60 Transmen tend to be the most invisible in Asian LGBT
communities. They make up the smallest number of respondents
in this research. Except for the Japanese word “toransu,” there
is very little or no terminology for transmen in the nine local
languages of this research. Compared to a variety of local words
(positive, negative or reclaimed) available for transwomen, lesbians
(and also gay men), transmen tend to be referred to by English
terms and abbreviations – such as transman, female to male, F
to M, FtM, or they are mistakenly conflated with butch, lesbian or
tomboy. For example, the Malay term, pengkid is a broad reference
for Malay women with non-conforming gender identity and gender
expression – tomboys, butch women and androgynous women
who like masculine dress styles. The Malaysia chapter notes that
pengkids and mak nyahs are perceived as openly
defying and shaming the Malay identity (i.e.,
ethnicity), Muslim identity (i.e., religion), and
therefore their Malaysian identity (i.e., nationality).
It is also likely that pengkids and mak nyahs
were perceived as a challenge to Malay mascu-
linity and “an affront” to gender-conforming
relationships.
Violence against LBT people by non-State
actors and private individuals is treated as
understandable, normal, justifiable, even
inevitable, and this “inevitability” is a
justification for the State sidestepping its due
diligence to LBT people.
The intersection of poverty, sexual orientation,
gender identity and gender expression made
khwajasaras in Pakistan, transwomen in the
Philippines, and mak nyahs in Malaysia from the
lower economic strata even more vulnerable to
arbitrary arrest, verbal and physical humiliation
during detention, and physical violence from
police officers and officers of religious affairs
departments. Several aspects of disadvantage,
hostility and exclusion compounded the dis-
crimination felt by all respondents to create a
climate of extreme abuse and impunity. In this
case, transgender visibility and poverty as well
as assumptions that all transgender women were
sex workers – and that sex workers should be
mistreated – were the contributing factors. In
Malaysia, mak nyahs were perceived to be violat-
ing sharia laws regarding non-conforming gender
expression. Consequently, poor transwomen
(especially although not limited to sex workers)
pengkids have always been a visible presence in Malaysia
and have their own support networks made up exclusively of
pengkids. Transmen tend not to attend LGBT events. There
is no Malay term for transmen; pengkid is sometimes used
for lack of specific terminology. In comparison, the negative
Malay term, mak nyah for transwomen has been reclaimed
and politicized by Malay transwomen and is currently used as a
positive self-identifier. This term is even claimed by non-Malay
transwomen in the absence of similar politicized terms in the
Chinese and Tamil languages.
were fined and jailed more frequently than other
respondents. As the Malaysia research indicates,
economically vulnerable mak nyah were “more
often persecuted” by the sharia courts. In Pakistan,
although the Supreme Court had ordered that
hijras and khwajasaras be given welfare benefits
and that a third gender legal category be created,61
these individuals reported regular physical
violence in public spaces.
Undoubtedly, the visibility of LBT identities and
behaviors was subjective, based on the perceptions
and values of those doing the perceiving, and
on prevailing norms. In some instances, the
outward, visible cues of being lesbian or trans-
gender were invisible to the public because they
were not socially recognized as such. As a result,
they went unnoticed and did not incite hostile
responses.
Visibility also served as an advantage and was
used strategically to provide cover in public
spaces. This happened, for instance, when some
lesbians in Sri Lanka “passed” by taking on the
“mis-recognized” gender role they were assumed
to have; that is, if they were frequently assumed
to be a boy or a man, they passed as one to avoid
unnecessary questioning and negative comments.
Passing as a man was also seen as useful to deflect
unwanted male attention, as noted by Jayanthi
Kuru-Utumpala: “Dressing tough provides some
degree of safety and security in a male-dominated
world. On a number of occasions I too have
found it convenient to pass as a boy while riding
my motorbike after dark. The fact that I look
boyish anyway often works to my advantage as
I can zip around at any time without any undue
attention.”62
61 “Pakistan Eunuchs To Have Distinct Gender,” BBC News,
December 23, 2009, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_
asia/8428819.stm.
62 “Butching It Up: An Analysis of Same Sex Female Masculinity
in Sri Lanka,” Culture, Health and Sexuality: An International
Journal for Research, Intervention and Care, July 18, 2013,
http://doi.org/10.1080/13691058.2013.807520.
Cross-Country Analysis 39
7
Most LBT people in Asia reported an
abysmal lack of sensitive external
support systems and relied on per-
sonal resiliency to deal with violence.
LBT victims of violence are disadvantaged even
before they can seek redress for violence due to
the risks of being criminalized63 by the State;
stigmatized by society; condemned by religious
groups; and rejected by family, if their identities
or reasons for violence are revealed. This disad-
vantage, as the research shows, prevented many
victims from seeking services from hospitals,
emergency clinics, counseling centers, or shelters
for domestic violence victims.
When we asked respondents what kind of help
they sought when they experienced violence,
the first response was almost universally that
there was no help. Even where mainstream
services such as violence intervention programs
for women exist, LBT people said they experienced
discriminatory and insensitive treatment.
For instance, LBT people in the Philippines
reported a lack of LBT friendly and LBT
sensitive staff at police stations and domestic
violence desks at hospitals. In Malaysia, LBT
people stated that mental health professionals,
doctors and gynecologists were “ill-equipped”
and that they did not have critical information
about LBT patients. In Pakistan, women’s shelter
programs set up specifically to assist women
fleeing violence turned away lesbians in need
of emergency shelters for violence.64 In Japan,
63 Worldwide, male homosexuality is prohibited and punishable
under anti-sodomy laws in 76 countries lesbianism is illegal
in about 30 countries. Non-conforming gender behaviors are
criminalized under wide-ranging laws, frequently categorized as
public order laws or morality laws, such as vagrancy laws, anti-cross
dressing laws, and impersonation laws. The risk of criminalization
under State law is compounded by the risk of being sanctioned
under State-endorsed religious law, such as provisions in Sharia
or Islamic law, which also carry heavy if not heavier penalties.
See “State-Sponsored Homophobia: A world survey of laws:
Criminalisation, protection and recognition of same-sex love,”
International Lesbian Gay Bisexual Trans and Intersex Association,
May 2013, http://old.ilga.org/Statehomophobia/ILGA_State_
Sponsored_Homophobia_2013.pdf and http://ilga.org.
64 Pakistan’s hijras and khwajasaras are legally eligible for welfare
40 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
domestic violence shelters for women did not
accept lesbians, and while counseling was available
for domestic violence, those who provided
counseling expected LBT victims of violence
to disregard their sexual orientation or gender
identity when talking about the violence. This
pressure to compartmentalize and invisibilize
themselves was described by some Japanese
LBT people as another layer of violence.
Discriminatory and insensitive services reinforced
the overall prejudiced treatment that LBT victims
of violence already experienced. This kind of
treatment and inadequate support to LBT people
who were already in crisis made these situations
much more egregious because it increased the
victims’ vulnerability and their experience of defeat
and isolation. As noted by several LBT people in
Malaysia, Philippines and Japan, their negative
experiences from seeking help in the past discour-
aged them from doing so again in the future. It also
compounded the injury from the initial violence.
Some of the Japanese respondents who insisted that
“[s]eeking help from someone didn’t even come
to mind” may have instinctively understood that
being lesbian or bisexual or gender variant dis-
qualified a person from external support. To have
this confirmed at a time of great need is a travesty.
Both secular and religious laws ended up
protecting State actors ... who abused their
authority while carrying out their duties.
LBT people in every country reported that they
mostly relied on themselves to deal with the
violence in their lives. Daily coping mechanisms
included normalization of the violence (e.g.,
ignoring, downplaying, and pretending to “accept”
the violence as normal in a world where non-
conforming sexual orientation, gender identity
and gender expression were not tolerated). Coping
methods for family violence included avoiding
family gatherings, daily self-isolation to minimize
benefits and are legally recognized as a third gender category,
but there are no laws in Pakistan to protect and legalize
lesbians and bisexual women.
interactions with family members, and using humor
to deflect verbal denigration. Some survivors of
violence coped by playing sports; escaping into
books and films, prayer and spiritual practices;
disclosing the violence to friends; or forming LBT
social networks. Several respondents in Sri Lanka
also reported that despite the violence, they still
felt strong and proud of themselves.
The research did present some hopeful reports
from LBT individuals in Sri Lanka and Malaysia
who indicated that where possible, they “sought
solace or guidance” from women’s or LGBT
support groups, friends, counselors and psycho-
therapists in the feminist community, or feminist
movements. In the Philippines, a few transgender
women reported that their first positive experience
of support came from school guidance counselors.
Not all LBT people passively accepted the violence.
Some reported fighting back. In Pakistan, a
bisexual woman, sexually violated by strangers in
public spaces, said she would “turn around and
hit” the perpetrators. In Sri Lanka, some lesbians
facing family violence argued back when family
members verbally and emotionally violated them,
even if this did not stop the violence.
Being victimized also catalyzed some survivors of
violence to become interventionists, for example:
speaking out on behalf of another family member
who was being sexually violated in the family;
initiating group action to negotiate with school
authorities about hair length for transgender students;
advocating with an employer for transgender
toilets; publishing a manual on how to protect
LGBT people from discrimination; using social
media to protest violence and mobilize support
for victims; and fighting religious condemnation
with the religious conviction that “god is a just
god” and accepts LBT people.
Personal coping methods, inner strength, and
acts of resistance were clearly a testament to the
resiliency of LBT people. However, our research
also revealed the enormous human cost of violence
on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity
and gender discrimination. The following list
shows the long-term impact of violence against
LBT people. Some of the effects of violence were
evident across all the research countries.
In Japan, LBT people reported: attempting
suicide, having suicidal thoughts, self-harming
behaviors, depression, flashbacks, chronic physical
pain and illnesses, substance addiction, insomnia,
self-blame, loss of confidence, low self-esteem,
broken friendships, loss of social contacts, isolation,
dropping out of school, inability to complete
education, job loss, eviction, and difficulty finding
housing.
In Malaysia, LBT interviewees reported: attempt-
ing suicide, excessive drinking, drug use, isola-
tion, falling behind in school, being expelled or
experiencing other disruptions to their education,
physical injuries, and persistent nightmares.
In Pakistan, LBT people reported: low morale,
depression, helplessness, extreme anger and sadness.
In the Philippines, LBT respondents reported:
sadness, clinical depression, fear of rejection, fear of
relationships, self-doubt, self-blame, despair, anger,
paranoia, hyper vigilance, combativeness, and
aggression towards themselves and their partners.
In Sri Lanka, LBT interviewees reported: depression,
anxiety, anger, frustration, fear, self-hatred, self-blame,
sadness, self-harming behaviors, attempting suicide,
suicidal thoughts, feeling paralyzed because of
violence, dependence on anti-depressants, and
psychosomatic problems like eczema, substance
abuse, and chain smoking.
Also, in Japan and Sri Lanka, media reports of
LBT suicides linked the deaths to experiencing
emotional violence and family violence. What
this also revealed was the high cost of State failure
to ensure safe living conditions for people with
non-conforming sexual orientation, gender identity
and gender expression. A high number of suicides,
as reflected in this research, were preceded by
multiple types of discrimination – and conse-
quently, violence – against the person based on
their intersecting identities (e.g., their class, economic
status, education level, religious and ethnic back-
grounds, in addition to them being LBT).
Cross-Country Analysis 41

CONCLUSIONS
STATE PROGRAMS ON
GENDER-MOTIVATED VIOLENCE
OVERLOOK LBT PEOPLE
The findings on family violence prompt the
following conclusions about violence against LBT
people in the private sphere:
1. Violence against LBT people in the private
sphere is not recognized as a serious problem.
2. Family violence against LBT people is
justified by and blamed on the victims’
non-conforming sexual orientation, gender
identity and gender expression.
3. LBT children and youth are neglected when
mechanisms and programs are developed to
address violence against children.
4. LBT people are overlooked and forgotten
when the State and NGOs implement
measures to stop gender-motivated family
violence against women.
5. Links are not being considered between
homophobia, transphobia and gender-based
violence.
CLOSETING OF VIOLENCE
Many people interviewed for this research focused
more on violence by family than violence by
State actors, community members or strangers.
We gathered from this that the psychological and
emotional injuries sustained from family violence
were more present in individuals’ minds than
the violence they experienced by State actors.
That said, in some of the research countries, such
as Japan, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, LBT people
struggled with naming family violence as violence
and family members as perpetrators. For instance,
even when respondents clearly identified specific
acts such as beating, slapping, sexual fondling
and hair pulling, they were uncomfortable using
the term “violence” for these actions when the
perpetrators were family members, intimate
42 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
partners, and in some instances co-workers
(e.g., in Japan). Transgender interviewees who
unhesitatingly identified derogatory name-calling
and sexualized insults against them on the streets
as verbal violence were reluctant to categorize or
name the same actions as verbal violence when
they occurred in their homes.
On the surface, it seemed that this refusal to
attach “violence” and “perpetrator” to violence in
the private sphere was tied to filial loyalty, duty,
and the need to protect family from outsider
judgment and criticism. However, there could be
other more complicated reasons. Some lesbians
in Japan felt somehow responsible for the violence
because it was triggered by their non-conformity.
Some lesbians in Pakistan and Malaysia had
internalized the religious condemnation of
parents and religious institutions to the extent
of wanting to revert to leading heteronormative
lives. These individuals experienced the violence
as understandable and their need to conform as
an obligation to family and religion. Lesbians in
Sri Lanka and Pakistan, knowing that their sexual
orientation and gender expression were illegal
and stigmatized, struggled with self-hatred. They
rationalized the violence they experienced as
somehow justified for bringing disharmony and
inconvenience to their families due to the shame
associated with having an LBT family member.
The founder of a hate crimes monitoring organi-
zation in the Philippines, Lacsamana, explained
in a news article that the invisibility of LGBT
killings in that country was because families of
the victims “would rather have the police tag the
incident as ‘mere robberies’ than an overt and
targeted attack on homosexuals.”
Lacsamana said
that because families “feel ashamed that their
loved one is gay, they often decide not to pursue
the case anymore, especially when the tabloids
sensationalize the crime in the headlines.”65
65 Joseph Holandes Ubalde, “Afraid: Killings Of LGBTs In The
Philippines On The Rise,” Interaksyon, June 27, 2011, http://
www.interaksyon.com/article/6916/afraid-killings-of-lgbts-in-
philippines-on-the-rise.

LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY
The findings showed lack of due diligence in
preventing and punishing violence against LBT
people, and failure to provide an environment
conducive to them living violence-free lives.
This lack of accountability was inconsistent
with the international treaty agreements that
Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines and Sri
Lanka have all signed. 66 Further, there was
evidence of State impunity contributing to a
culture of impunity within families. Levels of
violence directed at LBT people were linked to
the State’s views and positions on sexual rights
and gender non-conformity. Three trends in the
research showed this:
1. Where government policies were incon-
sistent regarding LBT rights, this lack
of consistency tended to facilitate the
escalation of discrimination into discrim-
inatory violence.
2. The greater the influence of religiously based
(or expressed) homophobia and transphobia
on State policy, the higher the possibility
and frequency of violence linked to visibility
of non-conforming gender expression and
sexual orientations.67
3. Derisive public statements by government
officials and/or failure to publicly address
discrimination and violence against
66 All five of the research countries have ratified the CEDAW
Convention. However, it is only since 2010 that LBT
groups and women’s groups in Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Japan
and Philippines have used this Convention to advocate
protections from violence. The impetus for this is most
likely Recommendation 28 on the core obligations of States
that includes lesbians as a vulnerable group. The research
countries have also ratified the Convention On The Rights Of
The Child. In addition, Japan, Philippines and Sri Lanka have
signed the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
These treaties explicitly name sexual orientation (and gender
identity in some) as a protected category.
67 Including verbal hostility; physical attacks in public spaces,
harassment and violence, including sexual assaults by
police and religious officers; and school violence where LBT
youth face physical, verbal even sexual harassment, and
expulsions.
LBT people increased the likelihood and
severity of hostilities towards LBT people
by members of public – with little conse-
quence to perpetrators.
These trends more than likely influenced how
LBT people were treated by their families.
Expecting the State to be accountable and exercise
due diligence in compliance with international
commitments is critical for stopping violence
against LBT people. However, this must be
accompanied by stronger community capacity
for sustainable and supportive interventions, as
part of civil society accountability to marginalized
communities. It should not be the expectation
that individual victims need to be self-reliant and
resilient to deal with violence on their own while
waiting for State action to reduce violence for all
people – those who are female-bodied, gender
variant, cisgender women and men, lesbian, bisex-
ual, asexual, heterosexual, single, coupled, married
or familied.
LACK OF ACCESS TO REDRESS
Criminalization, stigmatization and discrimi-
nation discouraged LBT people from seeking
help for violence. Again and again, individual
testimonies revealed insensitive or exclusion-
ary encounters with healthcare professionals,
mental health professionals and NGOs. Seeking
legal redress was even more risky with Penal
Code restrictions in Malaysia, Pakistan and Sri
Lanka that severely penalized same-sex sexual
relations. People with non-conforming gender
expression were also particularly vulnerable for
criminalization under new laws to curb “gender
impersonation” (i.e., in Sri Lanka and Malaysia).
Religious laws in Malaysia and Pakistan added
another layer of surveillance and penalties,
stripping away access to redress for LBT people
who were subject to sharia law.
Both secular and religious laws ended up pro-
tecting State actors, in particular, religious
officers working for State-established insti-
tutions, vice officers, and police officers who
Cross-Country Analysis 43
abused their authority while carrying out their
duties. These State actors went so far as to break
the law themselves, by mistreating individuals
with harassment, intimidation, physical and
verbal humiliation, extortion and sexual ad-
vances. These behaviors signal an acceptance
and normalization of human rights violations
against LBT people by the State. It reinforces for
those experiencing violence in both the public
and private spheres that they have to silently
bear “dehumanizing harm” against a backdrop of
“punitive and discriminatory legal frameworks”68
with only themselves (i.e., personal resilience)
and their friends to turn to for solace.
SURVIVORS AT GREAT COST
Over half of the LBT interviewees in the
Japan study said that they had “considered
suicide.” ... In Sri Lanka, one-third of the
LBT interviewees reported that they at-
tempted suicide.
professionals (in Malaysia and Sri Lanka) stood
out as champions for being available to LBT
people, which further highlighted the crisis
of need for trustworthy, LBT-sensitive services,
including: emergency housing; family interventions;
counseling; legal advocacy; medical interventions;
and even faith-based support to counter the
damaging impact of using religion to spread
community intolerance and hate, including
self-hatred.
The most tragic example of the cumulative
impact of violence and discrimination was
documented in Japan when one of the interviewees,
a transgender man, killed himself during the
research.
These situations perhaps demonstrate how country
context makes a difference in how individuals are
able to respond to violence.

Anecdotal feedback from documenters indicated

that most of the individuals who agreed to be
interviewed wanted to help make a difference
by revealing what had happened to them. All
five studies documented ways in which LBT
people coped with violence and daily discrimination
despite the glaring lack of wellness resources.
The few examples of LBT (primarily transgender
women’s) activism were documented in the
Philippines.

While many talked of having survived violence,

the quality of survival was affected – even com-
promised – by this lack of resources. At the time
of documentation, there was no LGBT crisis
hotline in Japan. NGOs and women’s shelters
generally declined LBT individuals needing
emergency assistance. One or two mental health

68 Terms borrowed from United Nations Development

Programme, Asia Pacific Forum, and IDLO, Regional Report:
The Capacity Of National Human Rights Institutions To
Address Human Rights IN Relation To Sexual Orientation,
Gender Identity And HIV, 2013.

44 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
RECOMMENDATIONS
Regardless of the different legal systems in Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines and Sri Lanka, and taking
into consideration differences in religion, inherited colonial legacies, human rights advances or setbacks,
and strength of civil society movements in the respective countries, IGLHRC joins the research partners in
recommending the following.

GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS
Th
e State must take responsibility for ensuring an environment that is supportive of all and
not only some women’s rights.

The State must exercise due diligence in preventing violence and promoting the safety and
dignity of all marginalized and vulnerable populations – ethnic minorities, people with
disabilities, indigenous communities, religious minorities, including sexual minorities and
non-conforming gender minorities.

Although LBT people are constitutionally assured of equal protection of the law, in practice
there are no legal protections on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity.
Legislation prohibiting particular kinds of gender-motivated violence (e.g., domestic violence,
intimate partner violence, forced marriage, rape) must extend protections and redress to
LBT people. Anti-discrimination legislation must include sexual orientation and gender
identity as protected categories.

TO GOVERNMENT
• Prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.
• Decriminalize consensual, adult same-sex relations between women and between men.
• Remove laws that unfairly and disproportionately target people with non-conforming gender for
criminal penalties.
• Denounce the use of religious discourse to promote stigma, violence and discrimination against
lesbians, bisexual women, and people with non-conforming gender identity and gender expression.
TO NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTIONS
• Investigate and document violence against LBT people.
• Ensure that complaint mechanisms and reporting procedures are safe and do not subject LBT people to
family, community and State recriminations (including criminalization).
• Recommend preventative and reparative actions to redress violence against LBT people.
• Report violence and discrimination against LBT people to relevant United Nations entities.

Cross-Country Analysis 45
TO CIVIL SOCIETY
• LBT groups must inform themselves about the international treaties that their governments have
ratified and learn how to use the UN processes to advocate LBT rights.
• Women’s rights NGOs and human rights NGOs must visibilize violence and discrimination against
LBT people.

DETAILED RECOMMENDATIONS
EXECUTIVE BRANCH
• The government at the highest level must send a clear message that it does not tolerate or condone
intolerance, prejudice, discrimination and violence against LBT people.
• The government must direct all ministries and State institutions to take immediate measures to prohibit
discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.
• Law and policy reform must be accompanied by State funding for awareness training (e.g., counselor
training to assist LBT victims of physical assaults, sexual assaults, rape, teacher training for human
rights instruction, police training, judicial training).

LEGISLATIVE BRANCH
• Parliament must amend or adopt laws to penalize violence against LBT people in the public sphere (by
State and non-State actors) and in the private sphere (by non-State actors, including private individuals).
• Parliament must remove laws that criminalize consensual, adult same-sex relations between women
and between men.
• Parliament must amend laws that unfairly and disproportionately target LBT people for criminal penalties.
• Parliament must amend or adopt laws protecting children from family violence to recognize that children
with non-conforming sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression are also vulnerable to
family violence.
• Parliament must amend or adopt laws prohibiting rape, domestic violence and intimate partner violence
to extend protections to LBT people.
• Parliament must amend or adopt laws on sexual harassment in the workplace to expand definitions that take
into consideration sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression as grounds for sexual harassment.

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
• The Ministry of Education must address violence and discrimination in schools and universities
(e.g., issue directives to end bullying, discriminatory punishments, suspension, expulsion, forced
psychological counseling or “reparative” therapies that are meant to “convert” students with non-
conforming sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression).
• The Ministry of Education must ensure that all primary and secondary school curriculum incorporates
human rights instruction. This curriculum must promote respect, diversity, plurality, and equality for
LBT people.
• The Ministry of Education must require teacher training for primary and secondary teachers and
principals on how to teach human rights to primary and secondary school students. The training must

46 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
 prepare teachers and principals to promote respect and civic-mindedness towards all marginalized and
vulnerable communities, including LBT people.

SOCIAL WELFARE MINISTRY AND MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN

• Respective government ministries must direct State-funded victim assistance programs to expand
services to LBT people.
• Respective government ministries must ensure that NGOs receive training and implement good
practices on safe, inclusive, sensitive services for LBT people in need of assistance for violence.

LAW ENFORCEMENT
• The National Chief of Police must initiate immediate steps for police training in all jurisdictions on
how to incorporate human rights standards into law enforcement, including good practices on responding
to violence against LBT people, and treatment of LBT people in custody.
• Women’s desks at police stations must include an LBT advisor or focal point to ensure proper
implementation of good practices and LBT sensitivity standards.

JUDICIARY
• Judges must be trained in international human rights standards relating to sexual orientation and gender
identity (e.g., CEDAW, ICCPR, ICESCR and CRC Principles and Recommendations, Yogyakarta Principles).
• Where possible, judges must reference (incorporate in their rulings) treaty body recommendations on
sexual orientation and gender identity that are relevant to their State. Judiciaries (i.e., high courts, appeals
courts, constitutional courts) can set the tone for domestication of international treaty agreements.

NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTION AND NATIONAL WOMEN’S COMMISSION

• The National Commission on Human Rights (NCHR) must convene safe and confidential consultations
with LBT groups and individuals to better understand violence and root causes of violence against LBT
people.
• The NCHR must investigate reports of violence against LBT people, including police abuses, custodial
violence, violence in schools, and violence by State religious officers/departments.
• Complaint mechanisms and reporting procedures must be safe, and revised if necessary, to ensure that
LBT people are not subject to family, community and State recriminations (including criminalization).
• The NCHR must promptly and publicly challenge stigmatization and vilification of LBT people by media.
• The National Commission on Women (NCW), in its educational materials and measures to advance
women’s rights, must incorporate the rights to safety, security and non-discrimination for LBT people
(i.e., recognize sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression as grounds for violence and
discrimination).
• The NCHR and NCW must conduct their own research and documentation on the prevalence and
impact of violence against LBT people, and publicize their findings.
• The NCHR and NCW must recommend to the government preventative and reparative actions for
violence against LBT people.

Cross-Country Analysis 47
 • The NCHR and NCW must incorporate LBT people’s concerns in their shadow reports for the Universal
Periodic Review and UN treaty body monitoring processes.
GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS
The State must raise awareness in families on how to be supportive of LBT family members.

The State must raise awareness about the impact of violence in the private sphere that LBT
people experience while facing violence and discrimination outside the home, and possibly
isolated from support and community.

DETAILED RECOMMENDATIONS
MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN AND SOCIAL WELFARE MINISTRY
• Respective government ministries focused on the Millennium Development Goals must include vio-
lence and discrimination against LBT people as barriers to eradicating poverty, achieving gender equal-
ity, ensuring universal healthcare, and universal primary education for women and girls. Deliverables
must integrate LBT needs and concerns.
• Respective government ministries must include same-sex families in their focus on family matters.
• The Ministry of Women and Children should hold hearings on the effects of violence within the family
on LBT people (e.g., how violence impacts LBT mental health, education, poverty reduction) as part of
their work on ending violence in the private sphere (such as domestic violence).

MINISTRY OF HEALTH
• The Ministry of Health must develop training materials to sensitize mental health professionals on LBT
issues based on up-to-date, internationally credited scientific information, and must implement training
programs to ensure these concerns are understood.
• The Ministry of Health must provide training and resources for mental health practitioners (counselors,
therapists) so they are better able to recognize signs of family violence and better trained to support and
assist LBT family members as well as parents with LBT children.
• The Ministry of Health must adopt and implement guidelines on non-discrimination based on sexual
orientation, gender identity and gender expression. Health care providers who discriminate against LBT
people should be subject to disciplinary proceedings.

GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS
The State must comply with international treaties that it ratifies and live up to international
agreements it makes such as the Beijing Platform for Action – to remove obstacles from both
the public and private spheres that prevent all women (female bodied, gender variant, lesbian,
bisexual) and female-to-male transgender men from enjoying violence-free lives.

48 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
DETAILED RECOMMENDATIONS
EXECUTIVE BRANCH
• The government must abide by recommendations made during the Universal Periodic Review and by
treaty bodies. As part of this process, it must engage with civil society about LBT concerns and needs.
• The government cannot engage in threats to prevent civil society reporting to UN mechanisms as this
violates international standards on human rights.
• The government must decry the use of religion or culture as justification for violence and discrimination
against people on the basis of non-conforming sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.
• The government must ensure that religious leaders or State officials do not promote intolerance and
stigmatization against LBT people of that faith and LBT people in general. Public denouncement must
follow when this standard is violated.
• The government must ensure peaceful freedom of expression, freedom of opinion and exchange of
information about LBT health and bodily rights, freedom of association, and freedom of assembly.

CIVIL SOCIETY GROUPS

• Women’s NGOs must meaningfully and visibly incorporate LBT issues in their shadow reports to treaty
bodies, particularly CEDAW and CRC.
• Human rights NGOs must meaningfully and visibly include violence against LBT people in their
reports for the Universal Periodic Review.
• Non-LBT NGOs and Community Based Organizations (CBOs) that are invited to national consultations
with government ministries must ensure the participation of LBT activists and that LBT issues are represented.
• LBT groups must inform themselves about the international treaties that their governments have ratified
and learn how to use the UN process to advocate LBT rights.
• LBT groups must broaden their base of activism, community support, and strategic alliances, for instance
by collaborating with women’s rights, human rights groups, migrant worker groups, health groups, or anti-
violence groups that are engaging with the United Nations (for Universal Periodic Review, Commission
On The Status of Women, regional human rights consultations such as in the ASEAN region).

GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS
State actions must be accompanied by stronger community capacity for sustainable and
supportive interventions, as part of civil society accountability to vulnerable communities. It
should not be the expectation that individual victims need to be self-reliant and resilient to deal
with violence on their own while waiting for State action to reduce violence.

Civil society groups must confront their attitudinal barriers about same-sex partners, lesbians,
bisexual women, transgender women and transgender men, and generally anyone with non-
conforming gender expression.

Cross-Country Analysis 49
DETAILED RECOMMENDATIONS
NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS (NGOS) AND COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS (CBOS)
• NGOs and CBOs must ensure that their educational materials and/or hotlines for domestic violence, inti-
mate partner violence, or child abuse include information about violence directed at LBT family members.
• Women’s NGOs and CBOs must provide counselor training to ensure inclusive, sensitive and supportive
services to LBT victims of violence (such as physical assaults, sexual assaults, rape).
• NGOs and CBOs focused on women’s rights, LGBT rights, children’s rights, human rights and sex worker
rights must ensure that their counselors are trained on how to recognize signs of family violence and mani-
festations of this violence against LBT youth and adults.
• NGOs and CBOs focused on issues relating to families, women and children must be better trained to sup-
port and assist LBT family members as well as parents with LBT children.
• NGOs and CBOs providing legal aid services must be informed about the laws affecting LBT people and be
better trained to assist LBT victims of violence in need of legal redress (e.g., court advocacy) or other kinds of
advocacy involving State violence (e.g., by police, immigration, hospital, social welfare, government employer).
• Civil society groups in general must raise awareness about the impact of family and intimate partner violence
that LBT people experience while facing violence and discrimination outside the home, when they are at risk
of being isolated from support and community.

GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS
The media and places of worship often serve as venues for public debate on laws and issues relating
to LBT people (e.g., repeal of sodomy laws, same-sex relationships, non conforming gender, public
morality, human rights). Do not use these spaces to encourage discrimination.

DETAILED RECOMMENDATIONS
MEDIA
• LBT groups must develop culturally relevant media training materials and be trained on how to engage
potential media allies to challenge homophobia, transphobia and violence.
• Media must challenge discriminatory or hateful reporting about LBT people within their own institutions.
• Reporting on how a State has been reviewed by the UN (during its Universal Periodic Review or CEDAW
review) is an opportunity for LBT groups to educate the media about positive steps the government has
taken, government’s failure to meet international obligations, or if the state misrepresented the truth about
conditions facing LBT people.
FAITH LEADERS
• LBT-friendly faith, and traditional community leaders must attend or participate in public events on
LBT issues to show support and strengthen their messages, countering the misuse of religion to spread
hate, violence and discrimination.
• LGBT groups must identify religious allies and empower/educate them to publicly denounce violence
and discrimination against LBT people in the name of religion.

50 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
 threats (those who were opposed for personal or
APPENDIX A: RESEARCH professional reasons to non-conforming gender and
sexual orientation). Stakeholder questionnaires also
METHODOLOGY gauged awareness of LBT issues and needs.
Interview protocols included guidelines for
APPROACH TO RESEARCH getting informed consent, identifying safe
interview locations, doing a proper “wrap-up”
The approach to this research was collaborative,
before concluding each LBT interview, offering
careful, and led by the needs, perspectives and
respondents the chance to express how they felt
concerns of the partnering Asian LBT groups.
about the interview, and providing interviewers
Core research tools, which IGLHRC developed,
the opportunity to offer follow-up support such
were closely reviewed for usability, cultural
as information about LBT-friendly and trusted
sensitivity, and appropriateness of language
counseling, legal or support group services that
(i.e., terminology, phrasing, definitions of sexual
were aware of the project and available to provide
orientation and gender identity). Documenters
needed interventions. Interviewers themselves
were primarily LBT people – a few of whom were
were strongly discouraged from providing
gay cisgender men. The majority of documenters had
counseling or giving the impression that they had
gone through their own experiences of violence in
counseling expertise.
the past. Some teams asked non-LBT allies such as
feminist human rights advocates or human rights
Country partners tested the final draft of the
lawyers to conduct interviews with stakeholders.
LBT questionnaire with the understanding that
For most LBT interviewees, the documentation
research team coordinators could adjust the
process was eye-opening, as many had not named
questionnaire after documentation was underway.
their experiences as violence and were unaware
Questionnaires were translated from English to
of their rights. Many also were breaking silences
the languages of partnering countries. English
for the first time and saw their participation in
language interviews were also conducted in Sri
the project as part of a collective effort to expose
Lanka, Philippines, Malaysia and Pakistan.
the violence and improve support services for
LBT people.
Each country team agreed to conduct a minimum
of 50 LBT interviews and 40 stakeholder interviews,
RESEARCH DESIGN including human rights NGOs/women’s advocates,
mental health providers, medical professionals,
The core research tools for this project included
lawyers and religious leaders, employers, educators,
one long qualitative semi-structured question-
members of media, and government officials
naire for interviews with LBT people,69 and nine
(e.g., parliamentary ministers, human rights
shorter qualitative semi-structured questionnaires
commissioners, representatives of local police
for shorter interviews with stakeholders. Stake-
forces, etc.).
holders were identified with the intention that the
research would help tease out potential allies (those
LBT interviewees were selected through snowballing
who already were or could become support systems
recruitment, which involved conducting outreach
for LBT people experiencing violence) and potential
to LBT networks, personal contacts, and LGBT
organizations. Stakeholder interviewees in the
69 Some documentation teams found that they were the first people public sphere (e.g. with mental health practitioners,
that LBT respondents were talking to about the issues in this educators, government officials) were approached
research. Interviewers at first decided to allow respondents to through formal requests.
talk freely and for as long as they needed without interruption.
This resulted in interviews exceeding the two-hour limit agreed
Identification of LBT interviewees for the
to by the research regional group and IGLHRC. To cut down
on transcription time, most of the country teams began limiting semi-structured interviewees were not restricted to
questions on “coming out” and focused on narratives on violence. the prevailing identity-based categories (i.e., lesbian,

Cross-Country Analysis 51
bisexual, transgender or LBT), but also described
the activities, emotional state of being, and allowed
for the use of self-descriptors. The country samples
attempted to ensure representation along different
demographic criteria such as age, gender, ethnicity,
religion, economic status, etc.
DOCUMENTATION PROCESS AND
PROTOCOLS
Recorded interviews70 were transcribed from the
audio recordings and, where needed, translated
into English. English was the common language
between the different country research teams,
with the IGLHRC Asia staff coordinating this
project, and sometimes coordinating between
the in-country documenters and their team
coordinator.71
70 All interviews were recorded on electronic devices with the
consent of interviewees. The investigators/documenters were
regularly coached and monitored to ensure the security of the
audio data, and the confidentiality of the interviewee’s identity.
When an interviewee did not wish the interview to be audio-
recorded, a second person was required to attend the interview
as recorder (again, with the consent of the interviewee). The
second person recorded the interview as hand-written transcripts
or detailed notes. If this option was also not possible, the
interviewer took down handwritten notes (i.e., simultaneous
note-taking and conducting the interview). In this case, it was
essential that on completion of the interview, the interviewer
immediately recorded the interview in as much detail as
possible. For this project, interviews with LBT respondents were
primarily electronically recorded. Interviews with stakeholders
were either recorded electronically or as hand-written notes,
particularly in situations where stakeholders were reluctant or
fearful of supervisor and/or employer retribution, or concerned
about possibility that they themselves may be “outed” (sexual
orientation or gender identity revealed inadvertently or without
permission) as LGBT. Electronic recording was suspended or
not attempted with stakeholders when they became openly
homophobic or transphobic, or only agreed to speak if there
was no recorder. When interviewees responded non-verbally
(gestures), documenters made notes in the transcripts/for
transcribers to explain reasons or contexts for the non-verbal
responses. Shortcut summaries of interviews were avoided.
71 Documenters on the Pakistan team did not transcribe
interviews with khwajasaras that were conducted in Urdu.
Transcribing is labor-intensive; trained, trustworthy, and
LGBT friendly transcribers were severely limited in Lahore.
Documenters themselves faced many challenges with
transcribing, including, physically disabling health conditions
52 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
Country coordinators selected their own translators
and transcribers, prioritizing the following criteria:
trustworthiness, professional skills and availability.
Trustworthiness was critical to ensure that language
translators could handle sensitive material without
breaking confidence while being comfortable
working on an LBT project and familiar with
concepts of violence. It’s worth noting that even
when IGLHRC made funding available so country
teams could hire qualified translators, for some
teams, security risks were too great (e.g., as
one research coordinator said, “Money is not the
issue.”).72 These teams preferred known interlocutors
who were not necessarily trained as translators but
who were trustworthy and sensitive to the issues.
ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS AND
SUSTAINABILITY
The key ethical issues in this research were obtaining
informed consent and the confidentiality of the
participants’ identities. These were strongly
emphasized in the initial documentation training
that IGLHRC conducted and the trainings
subsequently delivered by country team coordinators.
Confidentiality was not only mandated for ethical
reasons but to minimize security risks from State
authorities, members of media, violators in families
and the interviewees’ communities.
The investigators made initial contact through
personal contacts or through members of the
local community or LBT organizations. They
introduced themselves and fully explained the
objectives of the research. Informed consent was
obtained by ensuring that all interviewees were
fully briefed on the kind of questions that they
would be asked, guaranteed confidentiality, and
the option to exit from the interview process at
any stage that they deemed was necessary. Inter-
views were conducted in a place where it was not
possible for anyone to overhear what is being said,
and early onset of secondary trauma from conducting
interviews. Less than 25 percent of transcripts from the total
number of LBTQ interviews conducted were therefore used in
the Pakistan country analysis or made available to IGLHRC.
72 This was the case for research teams in Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
or in any way identify the purpose of the meet- Each country team coordinator prepared an
ing. Safe times were identified, making sure that intervention strategy to be followed if respondents/
interviews were scheduled during the day or early interviewees were experiencing violence at the
evening hours. Interviews were conducted with time of the interview, experienced violence
one person at a time. Respondents’ identities were because of the interview, or were triggered by
not revealed or shared. recollections of violence for the interview and
needed counseling support. The strategy included
Data security was a critical concern and required identifying trustworthy mental health professionals
carefully planned and implemented procedures to who were trained LGBT-friendly counselors
ensure the confidentiality and integrity of the data and feminist psychologists who provided mental
collected. Multiple copies of audio and written health counseling sessions as needed, often at
transcript files were maintained (such as on flash little or no cost – with pro bono (voluntary
drives, external hard drives, and as hard copies), professional services) offered as their contribution
with security precautions taken for each. Each to LBT activism.74
country team coordinator decided if the different
storage devices were kept at different locations
or with different members of the research team
to minimize unauthorized access or harm to all
storage devices kept in the same location. All data
was backed up on external hard drives. Electronic
and hardcopies of completed, transcribed, En-
glish-translated interviews were sent as encrypted
files to IGLHRC for archival purposes. Data or
information about the identity of the interviewees
could not be shared with family members, partners
of the documenters, or partners of IGLHRC staff.

The emotional and psychological wellness of

researchers was critical for the sustainability
of the work. For example, it was important to
address emotional and psychological distress and
researcher burnout, triggered at different stages
of the project by repeated handling of research
materials (interviewing, transcribing, analyz-
ing, writing). Mental health interventions such
as counseling were identified by each country
coordinator – an LGBT crisis hotline in Japan, a
feminist LGBT-friendly psychologist in Sri Lanka,
mechanism to monitor data gathering progress and
an LGBT friendly social-worker in Malaysia, and troubleshoot challenges, while also providing a forum for
a peer group support in Pakistan. All researchers cross-country exchanges about the challenges of carrying out
were encouraged to maintain an interview diary/ the documentation, and opportunities for peer support. Quick
journal, keeping a record of their own thoughts regular check-ins via SMS and Facebook also helped keep us in
and feelings about the interview and the research touch. Wellness grants were available through IGLHRC for peer
counseling training by in-country or regional experts.
process. Here, too, confidentiality of interviewees
and use of pseudonyms were required.73 74 The exception to this arrangement was the Pakistan research
team whose team included professionals with counseling
training. Members supported one another in the absence
of reliable trustworthy outside support from mental health
73 IGLHRC convened monthly country coordinator meetings professionals in the city where the team was based, specifically
via Skype and telephone. These meetings served as a with regard to LGBT sensitivity and confidentiality.

Cross-Country Analysis 53
 ability to handle suffering caused by violence. LBT
APPENDIX B: people expressed a reluctance to rely on government-
funded programs or interventions to alleviate the
SUMMARY OF suffering caused by/impact of violence.

COUNTRY CONTEXTS Harmful impact of laws and policies: Japan has no

anti-sodomy laws or laws that criminalize homo-
JAPAN sexuality or same-sex relations, but there is no legal
recognition of individuals, relationships and family
The general population in Japan would most likely
units that do not conform to traditional concepts
not associate the terms “punitive” and “repressive”
of family, gender roles and gender expression. This
with the condition of LBT people. Two perspec-
includes transgender people, officially categorized
tives provide a different grasp of the Japan country
as people with Gender Identity Disorder (GID),
condition. Research coordinator, Azusa Yamashita
who are ridiculed and discriminated against, and
explains: “Most Japanese people know what’s
considered “defective” in the same way as lesbians
appropriate to say in public. There’s a general
and gay men. Cultural leaders and politicians rely
political understanding among Japanese stakeholders
on notions of “homogeneity,” which encourages
[educators, lawyers, mental health professionals,
mistreatment of transgender people in various
NGOs] that LGBT rights are human rights. Even
sectors of society, often with impunity.
if they reject other minority groups, they won’t say
that they reject LGBT people. They will say, yes
bullying of transgender students is wrong. They MALAYSIA
accept that there are difficulties of being LGBT.
In January 2012, Malaysia’s coalition government
Even general society, when you ask them, do you
scapegoated LGBT people as part of its election
accept LGBT people, they will say, yes. But in their
campaign against Malaysia’s opposition leader,
imagination, we don’t exist – maybe because they
Anwar Ibrahim, who had previously been charged
don’t fully comprehend LGBT people and they
for sodomy. Images of Anwar accompanied
think LGBT people are out there somewhere
inflammatory slogans like, “Free sex gathering 901”
but not in their family, their neighborhood, their
and “Sodomy no matter what.” Other posters
workplace.”75 At the same time, there is a powerful
linked voting for the opposition with “free sex.” At
sense of family obligation and pressure from family
the 2013 Universal Periodic Review of Malaysia, a
to conform – not only on LBT children but all
stakeholder statement submitted by a coalition of
family members – to ensure uniformity with and
Malaysian sexuality and gender rights groups to the
conformity to a “standardized ideal” of what is
United Nations Human Rights Council, explains:
considered an acceptable Japanese family unit.
“These posters were intended to fuel hate and
When there is discrimination and violence, LBT
politicize LGBTIQ for political mileage by the ex-
individuals have difficulty “assigning blame” and
isting ruling coalition government, Barisan Na-
demanding accountability from an external entity
sional (BN), and in particular by the ruling Ma-
– for example, the family, the employer, or the
lay party, UMNO.”76 Even more disturbing are
State. In this research, even when LBT respondents
statements by Malaysia’s top leadership, includ-
acknowledged that specific acts of violence and
ing the Prime Minister, and the Deputy Prime
discrimination were a violation of their rights, there
Minister, calling gay people “deviant aspects of
was an overarching sense of individual responsibility
for having to handle the violations, converting a
situation of social and structural violence to a 76 “Malaysia: Human Rights Violation against Lesbian, Gay,
problem of personal responsibility, and indicating Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and Queer Persons,”
that its “solution” rest with personal ability or in- Knowledge and Rights with Young People through Safe Spaces
(KRYSS), March 2013, http://voc.org.my/blog/wp-content/
uploads/2013/03/coalition-of-SOGI-Malaysia.pdf. The UPR
75 IGLHRC Skype conversation with Azusa Yamashita, July 10, 2013. stakeholder statement was submitted by KRYSS.

54 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
society,” urging parents to monitor “gay symptoms,”
and declaring that gay people in Malaysia should be
sent to State-funded rehabilitation centers.77
PAKISTAN
In June 2011, the US embassy in Pakistan pub-
licized an LGBT Pride event that it hosted at the
embassy in Islamabad, setting off a chain of angry
reactions from religious and political leaders across
major cities. Jamaat-e-Islami, the largest Islamist
group in the country, said that the embassy action
was “social and cultural terrorism against Pakistan.”78
A mob belonging to this group surrounded the
embassy and threatened recriminations.79 LGBT
guests at the embassy event and their social networks
of gay and lesbian individuals feared being hunted
down by religious groups.80
SRI LANKA
In September 2011, the lead article in Rivira, a Sri
Lankan newspaper, entitled, “Violating Sri Lanka’s
Penal Code: 24 Homosexual Centres to Open,”81
alleged criminal activity by homosexual organi-
zations receiving HIV funding. In response, Sri
77 Anna Leach, “16,000 Parents and Teachers Told to Curb LGBT
Behavior in Malaysia,” Gay Star News, February 4, 2013, http://
www.gaystarnews.com/article/16000-parents-and-teachers-told-
curb-lgbt-behavior-malaysia040213; Anna Leach, “Malaysian
Deputy Prime Minister Says LGBT People Need Counseling,”
Gay Star News, April 5, 2012, http://www.gaystarnews.com/
node/1847; Anna Leach, “LGBTs Are Deviant Aspects of
Malaysia Says Prime Minister,” Gay Star News, June 27, 2012,
http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/lgbts-are-‘deviant-aspects’-
malaysia-says-prime-minister270612; Anna Leach, “Politician
Calls For Gay Rehab Center in Malaysia,” Gay Star News,
March 22, 2012, http://www.gaystarnews.com/node/1613.
78 “US Embassy In Islamabad Accused Of ‘Cultural Terrorism’ For
Holding Gay Rights Event,” Fridae, July 4, 2011, http://www.fridae.
asia/newsfeatures/2011/07/04/10982.us-embassy-in-islamabad-
accused-of-cultural-terrorism-for-hosting-gay-rights-event.
79 Peter J. Smith, “Pakistanis Denounce US Embassy’s Gay Rights
Party as ‘Cultural Terrorism,” Life Site News, July 26, 2011,
http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/pakistanis-denounce-us-
embassys-gay-rights-party-as-cultural-terrorism/.
80 IGLHRC conversation with O, Pakistan on July 19, 2011.
81 S inhala language online newspaper, Rivira, September 9, 2011,
http://www.rivira.lk/2011/09/11/janaindex.htm.
Lanka’s President, Mahinda Rajapaksa ordered the
halt of condom and lubricant distribution and a
special investigation on homosexual organizations
“as to how these organizations are surreptitiously
operating to destroy the culture, civility and morals
of this country.”82 An email from LBT activists
describes the fallout from the State’s response: “The
environment has turned hostile and regressive
towards NGOs and civil society in general… many
NGO’s have been forced to shut down and if they
continue to operate they are compelled to reveal
information about their activities and sources of
funds to the Ministry of Defense. Also, gay and les-
bian issues have faced intense scrutiny and negative
backlash causing a number of activists to flee the
country or go underground. Media coverage has
been very negative and destructive.”83
Harmful impact of laws and policies: Malaysia,
Pakistan and Sri Lanka all still implement remnants
of old British colonial law, including ancient Penal
Code provisions that broadly criminalize “sexual
acts against the order of nature” (anal and oral sex,
same-sex relations, and bestiality). These provisions
are often referred to as “sodomy laws” (see Appen-
dix C) and subject violators to severe penalties.
In addition, Pakistan and Malaysia have sharia
or Islamic laws that also penalize homosexuality,
cross-dressing, non-conforming gender expression,
and any form of intimacy deemed to be “sexually
inappropriate” and therefore defying Islamic teach-
ings (see Appendix C). The presence of a dominant
religion and laws that criminalize homosexuality
and transgenderism tend to create less protection
for women in general and more risks for lesbians,
bisexual and gender variant people. Unlike in Japan
and Philippines, governments of Malaysia and Sri
Lanka also impose internal security (“anti-terror-
ism”) laws, which grants the police and security
forces broad powers to interpret and enforce laws,
82 R ivira, September 9, 2011, pp. 6, http://www.rivira.
lk/2011/09/11/janaindex.htm.
83 Email received from WSG, July 9, 2013. Also see “Coalition for
Sexual Rights Joint UPR Submission Sri Lanka 2012,” CREA,
Equal Ground, The Sexual Rights Initiative and The Women’s
Support Group, November 2012, http://lib.ohchr.org/HRBodies/
UPR/Documents/Session14/LK/JS10_UPR_LKA_S14_2012_
JointSubmission10_E.pdf.
Cross-Country Analysis 55
and also deny permits for even peaceful marches,
rallies, and gatherings. Law enforcement agents use
these laws to disperse crowds and detain people for
unnecessary questioning without due process. In
this context, LBT persons are particularly vul-
nerable to physical, verbal and sexual violence by
police, officers of state religious departments, and
members of security forces. This not only denies
LBT people their right to physical integrity and
security, but also the right to freedom of expression,
the right to practice their religion, and the right
to equal protection of the law. Raids of private
homes by religious officers and police bans of LBT
human rights events deny freedom of association
and peaceful assembly, and constitute an invasion
of privacy.
PHILIPPINES
Compared to Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Pakistan,
the Philippines to all appearances, struggles with
fewer explicitly State-endorsed homophobic and
transphobic incidents of violence. In fact, the
Philippines country chapter does not document
State violence against LBT people as much as
non-State violence. However, a 2011 joint stake-
holder shadow report84 for the UN Human Rights
Committee’s review of the Philippines’ implemen-
tation of the International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights (ICCPR), lists the state’s failure to
address repeated violations of LBT people’s safety
and security, including: the humiliating treatment
of transgender women by state passport offices;
and several so-called jealousy-motivated killings of
lesbians by men “resentful of their girlfriend’s re-
lationship with a lesbian.” One of these incidents
involves multiple perpetrators and multiple ho-
micides where the suspects kill a woman and her
family because they are angered by her “reported
relationship with a lesbian.”85
84 “Human Rights Violations on the Basis of Sexual Orientation,
Gender Identity, and Homosexuality in the Philippines,”
IGLHRC and coalition partners, October 14-November 4, 2011,
http://www.iglhrc.org/sites/default/files/569-1.pdf. Submission
to the 103rd session of the Human Rights Committee October
14-November 4, 2011.
85 A s footnoted in the Philippines 2012 ICCPR shadow report.
See Hernan dela Cruz, “Police Hunt Zamboanga del Sur
56 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
Harmful impact of laws and policies: In the
Philippines, there is no anti-sodomy law but
several morality and public order laws – from
anti-vagrancy to grave scandal laws – are used to
target LBT people for police harassment, intimi-
dation, arbitrary arrest and detention. Laws against
kidnapping, illegal detention and human traffick-
ing (“crimes against liberty”) are misused against
butch lesbians and transgender men when families
disapprove of their relationships, are not successful
in breaking up couples, or prevent them from elop-
ing. Catholic priests encourage families to reject
and discriminate against LBT people, including
their own children and siblings. The Philippines
Catholic Church has successfully dissuaded the
Philippines Congress from passing an LGBT an-
ti-discrimination bill for the last fourteen years.
CONTRADICTIONS BETWEEN
NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL
COMMITMENTS
On one hand, government promises made at the
international level produced little or no advances
on LGBT equality at the national level. On the
other hand, positive developments at the national
level were not consistent with UN positions on
sexual orientation and gender identity. Three
striking examples of this occurred in Philippines,
Pakistan, and Japan.
• Philippines: In 2011, the Philippines
Supreme Court ruled that Ang Ladlad,
an LGBT political party, had the right to
participate in national elections,86 striking
down the National Election Commission’s
earlier rejection of the group’s application on
Killers,” Inquirer, September 28, 2011, http://newsinfo.inquirer.
net/66815/police-hunt-zamboanga-del-sur-killers. For the full
report see “Human Rights Violations on the Basis of Sexual
Orientation, Gender Identity, and Homosexuality in the
Philippines,” IGLHRC, October 10, 2012, http://www.iglhrc.org/
our-publications/reports/human-rights-violations-philippines.
86 Elizabeth Yuan, “Philippines Gay Party On Ballot For The First
Time,” CNN World, May 12, 2010, http://articles.cnn.com/2010-
05-08/world/philippines.politics.gay_1_human-rights-danton-
remoto-political-rights?_s=PM:WORLD.
 grounds that it was immoral for promoting
homosexuality.87 In 2012, Leila Delima, a top
government official in the Philippines Justice
Ministry declared before the United Nations
Human Rights Council that the Philippines
would lead on LGBT rights in Asia.88 In
2013, police sensitization trainings have been
taking place across major cities in the Phil-
ippines.89 Despite these positive events, the
Philippines government consistently abstains
from voting on LGBT protections at the UN
and has refused for the past thirteen years to
pass an LGBT Anti-Discrimination Bill.90
• Pakistan: In 2009, the Supreme Court of
Pakistan ordered welfare benefits to be ex-
tended to hijra and khwajasara (transwomen)
communities, and that a third gender legal
category be created – paving the way for
transwomen in Pakistan to stand for local
elections.91 It is difficult to predict what pos-
itive outcomes the Court’s rulings on third
gender rights will have on lesbian, gay and
bisexual people in Pakistan when juxtaposed
against the Pakistan government’s consistent
and vociferous opposition to any LGBT-re-
87 Kristine Servando, “Comelec says gay party ‘immoral,’” ABS
CBN News, November 12, 2009, http://www.abs-cbnnews.
com/lifestyle/11/12/09/comelec-says-gay-party-immoral.
88 “UN HRC Identifies LGBT Rights Violations In Philippines,”
Outrage Magazine, October 18, 2012, http://outragemag.
com/online/un-hrc-identifies-lgbt-rights-violations-in-phl/ and
“Philippines: UN Human Rights Committee Identifies LGBT
Rights Violations (press release),” IGLHRC, October 17, 2012,
http://www.iglhrc.org/content/philippines-un-human-rights-
committee-identifies-lgbt-rights-violations.
89 “Special Report: Philippines National Police Undergo LGBT
Sensitivity Workshops Part II,” The New Civil Rights Movement,
June 2, 2013, http://thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/special-
report-philippines-national-police-undergo-lgbt-sensitivity-
workshops-part-ii/politics/2013/06/02/67925.
90 “ Philippines: UN Human Rights Committee Identifies LGBT
Rights Violations (press release),” IGLHRC, October 17,
2012,http://www.iglhrc.org/content/philippines-un-human-
rights-committee-identifies-lgbt-rights-violations.
91 “ In Pakistani transgender political candidates, history and
hope,” Four Two Nine, April 1, 2013, http://dot429.com/
articles/1802-in-pakistani-transgender-political-candidates-
history-and-hope.
lated initiatives at the United Nations, as well
as the presence of Article 377 in the Pakistan
Penal Code (the British colonial anti-sodomy
law) taken in conjunction with the presence
of sharia penalties for sexual relations outside
heterosexual marriage.
• Japan: In 2012, for the first time, the
government of Japan opened a national crisis
telephone hotline for LGBT people92 and
extended the services of a national suicide
network to LGBT youth.93 The government
of Japan also assented to all recommenda-
tions on sexual orientation and gender made
during the 2011 Universal Periodic Review
by the Human Rights Council94 and the
2013 recommendations of the Committee on
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CE-
SCR).95 Japan also consistently votes in favor
of LGBT protections at the UN General
Assembly. Yet, nothing has been done to hold
high profile Japanese politicians accountable,
like the governor of Tokyo who publicly stig-
matized LGBT people in Japan and ignores
Japanese and international LGBT demands
for an apology.96 A National Human Rights
Commission has not been established.
92 “Beyond Invisibility: Great East Japan Disaster And LGBT In
Northeast Japan,” FOCUS Vol. 69, Asia Pacific Human Rights
Information Center, September 2012, http://www.hurights.or.jp/
archives/focus/section2/2012/09/beyond-invisibility-great-east-
japan-disaster-and-lgbt-in-northeast-japan.html.
93 Suicide.org website, http://www.suicide.org/hotlines/
international/japan-suicide-hotlines.html.
94 United Nations, 22nd session of Human Rights Council,
Universal Periodic Review of Japan, http://www.ohchr.org/EN/
HRBodies/UPR/Pages/JPSession14.aspx.
95 United Nations, 50th session of Committee on Economic,
Social and Cultural Rights, Concluding Observations
for Japan (E/C.12/JPN/CO/3 (2013), http://tbinternet.
ohchr.org/_layouts/treatybodyexternal/Download.
aspx?symbolno=E%2fC.12%2fJPN%2fCO%2f3&Lang=en.
96 “Tokyo LGBT Community And Supporters Protest Ishihara’s
Homophobic Comments,” Japan Subculture Research Center,
January 17, 2011, http://www.japansubculture.com/tokyo-lgbt-
community-and-supporters-protest-ishiharas-homophobic-
comments/.
Cross-Country Analysis 57
APPENDIX C: CURRENT LAWS THAT RELATE TO LBT
PEOPLE IN 5 ASIAN COUNTRIES
HOW IS VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN DEFINED? WHICH LAWS PROHIBIT VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN?

JAPAN MALAYSIA PAKISTAN PHILIPPINES SRI LANKA

No national law in Japan
explicitly prohibits vio-
lence against women.
Specific offenses such as
stalking, rape and domes-
tic violence are dealt with
under the Penal Code or
separate laws relating to
these types of violence.
No federal or national
law in Malaysia explicitly
prohibits violence against
women.
Specific offenses such as
domestic violence and
rape are dealt with under
the Penal Code or the
law prohibiting spousal
violence.
There is no national The Philippines Anti-Violence There is no national
law in Pakistan that Against Women and Their law in Sri Lanka that
defines or prohibits Children Act of 2004 (Republic explicitly prohibits
violence against Act 9262) refers to violence against violence against
women. women as a single or series of acts women.
against a woman who is the wife
Specific offenses such of the perpetrator, former wife, or Specific offenses
as sexual assault and sexual or dating partner, or with such as spousal
rape are dealt with whom he has a common child. violence and rape
under the Penal Code. are dealt with under
http://www.lawphil.net/statutes/re- the Penal Code.
pacts/ra2004/ra_9262_2004.html

HOW IS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE DEFINED? WHICH LAWS PROHIBIT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE?

JAPAN MALAYSIA PAKISTAN PHILIPPINES SRI LANKA

The Japan Act on the Prevention of Spousal The Malaysia Domestic Vi- There is no The Philippines Anti-Vi- Domestic violence
Violence and the Protection of Victims (Act olence Act enacted in 1994 law in Pakistan olence Against Women is not defined as a
No. 31) of 2001 defines domestic violence as and amended in 2011 on domestic and Their Children Act of separate offense. The
bodily harm by one spouse (illegal attacks, defines domestic violence violence. 2004 defines domestic Sri Lanka Prevention
threats, or words and deeds) that cause as the commission of violence as a separate of Domestic Violence
equivalent psychological or physical harm to the following acts against offense against a Act No. 34 of 2005
the other. The law applies to legally registered a woman or man by a woman and/or her child, limits definition of
marriages, annulled marriages (where divorce spouse, former spouse, or whether the child is domestic violence to
has been granted), and de facto state of any other family member: legitimate or illegitimate, offences in Schedule
marriage (not legally registered). willful threats of physical within or without the 1 of Chapter XVI of
injury, acts causing or family abode. Acts the Penal Code such
http://www.gender.go.jp/e-vaw/law/sv.pdf resulting in physical of domestic violence as grievous hurt,
injury, coercion, arbitrary include battery, assault, causing miscarriage,
Domestic violence includes stalking. The Anti-Stalk- confinement, and property coercion, harassment, etc. and emotional
ing Act (Act No. 81) of 2000 defines stalking as damage. The law is limited arbitrary deprivation of abuse which is
repeated acts against the same individual, which to married cisgender, liberty, stalking, etc., and defined in provision
violate the targeted individual’s “physical safety, heterosexual couples. resulting in physical, 23(b).
peace at home, or honor, or limits freedom of Children and incapacitated sexual, and psychologi-
movement, and are perpetrated against a male or adults are also protected cal harm, or suffering, or
http://www.
female spouse, cohabitant, or acquaintance, where under this law. economic abuse. documents.gov.lk/
the acts are carried out “to satisfy one’s grudge Acts/2005/Preven-
when the romantic feeling is not fulfilled.” Acts of http://www.agc.gov.my/ http://cedaw-seasia.org/ tion%20Act%20
stalking are: ambush, surveillance, telling someone Akta/Vol.%2011/Act%20 docs/DomestcViolenceL- No.%2034%20
they are being watched, unwanted repeated call- 521.pdf egislation of%202005/H%20
ing/ faxing/ emailing, and mailing objects meant 22927%20Preven-
to intimidate. tion%20(E).pdf

58 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
HOW IS GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE DEFINED? HOW IS GENDER DEFINED?

JAPAN MALAYSIA PAKISTAN PHILIPPINES SRI LANKA

No law No law in Malaysia There are no The Philippines Magna Carta of Women (RA 9710) defines vio- Gender is not specif-
in Japan defines gender-based laws in Pakistan lence against women as any act of gender-based violence that ically defined in any
defines gen- violence. But the that define results in physical, sexual or psychological harm of suffering Sri Lankan law.
der-based Equality Clause gender-based to women, including threats, coercion or arbitrary deprivation
violence. (Article 8) of the Ma- violence. of liberty. This definition is similar to the Anti Violence Against
Some laws that
laysian Constitution Women and Their Children Act of 2004 (RA 9262). prohibit gender-
includes gender as based violence are
a prohibited ground http://www.lawphil.net/statutes/repacts/ra2009/ra_9710_2009.html laws against rape,
for discrimination. sexual abuse, traffick-
RA 9208, the Anti Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003 also covers ing, incest, and digital
http://www. gender-based violence. violence.
malaysianbar.org.
my/gender_issues/ Gender equality is defined in the Magna Carta of Women (RA
gender_equality_un- 9710) as the principle asserting the equality of men and women
der_article_8_hu- and their right to enjoy equal conditions realizing their full
man_rights_islam_ human potentials to contribute to and benefit from the results
and_feminisims_by_ of development, and with the State recognizing that all human
salbiah_ahmad.html beings are free and equal in dignity and rights.

HOW IS SEXUAL HARASSMENT DEFINED? WHICH LAWS PENALIZE SEXUAL HARASSMENT?

JAPAN MALAYSIA PAKISTAN PHILIPPINES SRI LANKA

The Japanese In 2011, the Malaysia Em- The Pakistan Protection Against RA 7877 or the Philippines Section 345 of the
Ministry of Health ployment Act was amended Harassment Of Women At The Anti Sexual Harassment Act Sri Lanka Penal
and Labor Ministerial to include provisions relating Workplace Act of 2010 prohibits of 1995 prohibits sexual ha- Code (Amend-
Ordinance regarding to sexual harassment in sexual harassment and provides rassment, which is defined ment) 22 of 1995,
Equal Opportunity employment settings. The a complaints mechanism for as a sexual favor made as a and Act 16 of 2006
and Treatment amendments have been re- sexual harassment in employ- condition in the hiring, em- prohibit sexual
between Men and jected “as significantly flawed” ment settings. Under this Act, ployment, re-employment harassment, which
Women in Employ- by civil society groups. sexual harassment is defined as or continued employment of is defined as “un-
ment (Ordinance No. “any unwelcome sexual advance, an individual; or the granting wanted sexual ad-
133) of 2014 defines In 1999 the Ministry of request for sexual favors, or other of favorable compensation, vances by word or
sexual harassment Human Resources drafted a verbal or written communication promotions or privileges; action.” Although
as “sexual remarks Voluntary Code of Practice or physical conduct of a sexual or when employee’s refusal sexual harassment
and acts that take on the Prevention and Eradi- nature, or sexually demeaning to grant sexual favor results is a punishable of-
place in workplace cation of Sexual Harassment attitudes, causing interference in limiting, segregating or fence, complaints
against worker’s in the Workplace, which with work performance, or classifying the employee in are rare. State/
will.” According to outlined employer responsi- creating an intimidating, hostile, a way that would discrim- public employers
the Act on Securing, bilities to ensure a safe and or offensive work environment.” inate, deprive or diminish have yet to put in
Etc. of Equal healthy working environ- Any attempt to punish an employment opportunities, place mecha-
Opportunity and ment. The Code of Practice individual for refusing to comply violate labor laws, or create nisms to address
Treatment between has not been included in with sexual requests or requests an intimidating, hostile, sexual harassment.
Men and Women amendments to the Malaysia that are made as a condition of offensive environment for Private companies
in Employment (Act Employment Act. employment are included in the employee. have sexual ha-
No. 113) of 1972 definition of sexual harassment in rassment policies
sexual harassment http://wao.org.my/file/file/ the workplace. http://ecop.org.ph/ but these are not
in the workplace is a Malaysian%20NGO%20 downloads/presentations/ implemented.
punishable offense. CEDAW%20Alternative%20 http://www.qua.edu.pk/pdfs/ march20/RA-7877-Anti-
Report%202012%206MB.pdf ha.pdf Sexual-Harassment-Law.pdf

Cross-Country Analysis 59
HOW IS SEXUAL ASSAULT DEFINED? WHICH LAWS PROHIBIT SEXUAL ASSAULT?

JAPAN MALAYSIA PAKISTAN PHILIPPINES SRI LANKA

Covered under Covered under the Sections 354, 354A and 355 prohibit Covered under Phil- Categorized as grave sexual abuse
the Rape Law laws prohibiting sexual assault under the Pakistan Penal ippines Anti Rape and penalized under Sri Lanka
177 and Quasi rape and unnatural Code. Law of 1997. Penal Code (Amendment) 22 of
Rape Law 178 offences under the 1995, Para 365(b), which covers
of the Japan Malaysian Penal Definitions of sexual assault are as sexual acts that don’t fall under the
Penal Code. Code. follows: rape definition.

Section 354: “assault or criminal force http://www.aidscontrol.gov.lk/

to woman with intent to outrage her web/Web%20uploads/Policy%20
modesty.” or %20Law/Penal%20Code%20
(Amendment)%20Act,%20No.%20
Section 354A: “assault or criminal force 22%20of%201995.pdf
to woman and stripping her of her
clothes.”

Section 355: “assault or criminal force

with intent to dishonor person, other-
wise than on grave provocation.”

HOW IS STATUTORY RAPE DEFINED? WHICH LAWS PROHIBIT STATUTORY RAPE?

JAPAN MALAYSIA PAKISTAN PHILIPPINES SRI LANKA

Article 177 of the Japan
Penal Code prohibits
sexual intercourse with a
girl below 13 years of age,
where force, threats or
intimidation are present.
http://www.cas.go.jp/
jp/seisaku/hourei/data/
PC_2.pdf
Section 375 (g) of Section 375 (v) of Article 266-A of the Philippines Anti Section 363 (e) of the
the Malaysia Penal the Pakistan Penal Rape Law (RA 8353) of 1997 defines Sri Lanka Penal Code
Code prohibits sex Code prohibits sexual statutory rape as sexual intercourse (Amendment) No.
with a girl under16 intercourse with a girl with a girl below 12 years where force, 22 of 2005 prohibits
years of age, with under age 16, regard- threat or intimidation are present but sex with a girl below
or without her less of her consent. immaterial; the only subject of inquiry age 16 regardless of
consent. is the age of the woman and whether consent. The exception
http://www.pakistani. carnal knowledge took place. is if the girl is over
http://www.agc.gov.
org/pakistan/legis- 12 and married to a
my/Akta/Vol.%20 http://lexoterica.wordpress.
lation/1860/actXL- Muslim man (and not
12/Act%20574.pdf com/2011/07/20/june-2011-philippine-
Vof1860.html judicially separated
supreme-court-decisions-on-crimi- from him).
nal-law-and-procedure-2/

60 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
HOW IS RAPE DEFINED? WHICH LAWS PROHIBIT RAPE?

JAPAN MALAYSIA PAKISTAN PHILIPPINES SRI LANKA

Articles 177 and 178 of Sections 375 and 376 of the Section 375 of the Republic Act No. 8353 Section 363 of the Sri
the Japan Penal Code Malaysia Penal Code prohibit rape, Pakistan Penal Code (Act or the Philippines Lanka Penal Code
(Act No.45) of 1908 which is defined as (penile vagi- XLV) of 1860 prohibits Anti Rape Law of (Amendment) 22 of
prohibit rape. nal) sexual intercourse performed rape, which is defined as 1997 prohibits rape, 1995 prohibits rape,
by a man against a woman against sexual intercourse with a which is defined as which is defined as
http://www.cas.go.jp/ her will, without her consent, and woman against her will any act of sexual (penile-vaginal) sexual
jp/seisaku/hourei/data/ where her consent was obtained and without her consent, assault where penis is intercourse that a man
PC_2.pdf under fear of hurt or death, or or where consent has inserted into another has with a woman
where her consent is obtained un- been obtained under fear person’s mouth or without her consent,
Article 177 defines rape der false pretext that the offender of hurt or death. anal orifice, or any if consent is obtained
as sexual intercourse is lawfully married to her, or where instrument or object, through force or threat
with a female not less she is unable to understand the http://www.pakistani.org/ into the genital or of harm or death to
than 13 years of age, nature and consequences of giving pakistan/legislation/1860/ anal orifice of another the woman, or if the
where her consent was consent, and/or where consent actXLVof1860.html person and under the man deceives her into
forced through assault is obtained by abuse of authority. following circum- thinking that he is her
or intimidation. Rape with an object or not involv- stances: through lawful husband. Rape
The above definition of
Article 178 defines ing penile-vaginal penetration is rape is based on the 2006 force, threat, or definition also applies
forcible indecency not considered rape by definition amended rape law under intimidation; when to divorced or judicially
or “quasi rape” as an but as an “unnatural offence.” the Women’s Protection the offended party is separated couples but
indecent act forced Act. Prior to that, rape was deprived of reason or not if the man is still
Section 377(c) of the Penal Code defined by the Hudood otherwise uncon- legally married to the
upon a male or female
prohibits carnal intercourse Ordinance of 1979, scious; by means of woman.
by taking advantage of
against the order of nature on enacted under former fraudulent machina-
loss of consciousness or
another person or persons (man tion or grave abuse http://www.aidscontrol.
inability to resist, or by President Zia-ul-Haq, and
or woman) without consent, of authority; when of- gov.lk/web/Web%20
causing a loss of con- carried a high burden
or against the will of the other fended party is under uploads/Policy%20
sciousness or inability of proof, requiring four
person(s), or by putting the other 12 or is demented. or%20Law/Penal%20
to resist; or sexual in- male witnesses in order
person(s) in fear of death or hurt. Code%20(Amend-
tercourse with a female to prove “fornication by
http://pcw.gov.ph/ ment)%20Act,%20
by taking advantage of force.” Absent this level
http://www.wccpenang.org/rape/ No.%2022%20of%20
a loss of consciousness of proof, a woman was law/republic-act-8353
law-on-rape/ 1995.pdf
or inability to resist, convicted for “adultery or
or by causing a loss http://wao.org.my/file/file/Malay- fornication with consent.”
of consciousness or sian%20NGO%20CEDAW%20Al-
inability to resist. ternative%20Report%202012%20 http://www.pakistani.
6MB.pdf org/pakistan/legislation/
Article 178 defines zia_po_1979/ord7_1979.
gang rape as above but html
perpetrated by two or
more persons.

Cross-Country Analysis 61
IS RAPE OF A SEX WORKER PROHIBITED? WHICH LAWS PENALIZE RAPE OF A SEX WORKER?
JAPAN MALAYSIA
Theoretically, in Japan, rape of Sex work is criminalized
a sex worker is covered under in Malaysia, which
Article No. 177 (anti rape makes it difficult for sex
law) of the Penal Code but workers to report rape
is difficult to prove. In cases and seek legal redress.
involving rape of sex workers,
courts have ruled that “victims
did not try hard enough to
avoid rape or fight back.”
IS MARITAL RAPE PROHIBITED? WHICH LAWS PENALIZE MARITAL RAPE?
JAPAN MALAYSIA
The current Amended Section 375A of the Malaysia
anti-rape laws Penal Code prohibits marital rape,
of Japan do which is defined as “any man who
not prohibit during the subsistence of a valid mar-
marital rape. riage causes hurt or fear of death or
hurt to his wife in order to have sexual
intercourse with his wife.” However, an
exception to the marital rape amend-
ment remains in Section 376, which
states, “Sexual intercourse by a man
with his own wife by a marriage which
is valid under any written law for the
time being in force, or is recognized in
Malaysia as valid, is not rape.”
http://wao.org.my/file/file/Malay-
sian%20NGO%20CEDAW%20Alterna-
tive%20Report%202012%206MB.pdf
62 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
PAKISTAN PHILIPPINES
There is no law There is currently no law in the
in Pakistan that Philippines, prohibiting rape of a
addresses sex sex worker.
worker rape.
PAKISTAN PHILIPPINES
No laws in The Anti Rape Law (RA 8353)
Pakistan prohibit should cover marital rape.
marital rape. However, Article 266-C of
the Philippines Anti Rape Law
considers rape a pardonable
offense where “the criminal
act can be extinguished” if the
perpetrator is the husband and
there is forgiveness by the wife.”
Rape is recognized and as such
prohibited when the marriage is
void ab initio.
http://www.chanrobles.com/
republicactno8353.htm#.
UuCWKrSIbcc
SRI LANKA
Technically, in Sri Lanka,
rape of a sex worker is
covered by the Anti-Rape
Law but is hard to prove
since the sexual relations
of sex workers are pre-
sumed to be consensual.
SRI LANKA
Section 363(a) of the Sri
Lanka Penal Code Amend-
ment No. 22 of 2005
prohibits marital rape.
Under this law, marital
rape is limited to and
recognized only in cases
of judicial separation and
not in cases where the
marriage is still currently
legal. The law does not
apply to de facto couples
(i.e., marriage is not
legally registered).
IS FORCED MARRIAGE PROHIBITED? WHICH LAWS PENALIZE FORCED MARRIAGE?

JAPAN MALAYSIA PAKISTAN PHILIPPINES SRI LANKA

There are no laws in Japan that
criminalize forced marriage. How-
ever, Article 24 of the Constitution of
Japan states that marriage is based
on mutual consent by both sexes.
http://www.kantei.go.jp/foreign/
constitution_and_government/
frame_01.html
Article 742 of the Civil Code (Act No
89 of 1896, enacted in 1898) states
that marriage is void “if one of the
parties has no intention to marry
due to mistaken identity or other
cause.”
Except for the legal By Presidential Order of
age of marriage, 2011, forced marriage has
there are no been prohibited and is
laws prohibiting now a punishable offense
forced marriage in under the Pakistan Penal
Malaysia. Code. This reverses the
1979 Hudood Ordinance,
which repealed the Penal
Code and permitted forced
marriage under sharia law.
http://www.na.gov.
pk/uploads/docu-
ments/1329729400_262.pdf
No law on the books Marriage below age 18
prohibits forced mar- is considered void ab
riage. However, Article initio for non-Muslims
2 of the Philippines in Sri Lanka. Except
Family Code of 1987 for the age condition,
states that one of the forced marriage is not
requisites of marriage penalized as such.
is consent, and that
consent must be given
in the presence of the
solemnizing officer.
http://www.wedding-
satwork.com/culture_
laws_familycode01.
shtml

WHAT IS THE AGE OF SEXUAL MAJORITY? IS IT DIFFERENT FOR GIRLS AND BOYS?

JAPAN MALAYSIA PAKISTAN PHILIPPINES SRI LANKA

Article 731 of the Japan Civil
Code stipulates that marital
age is 16 for girls and 18 for
boys.
http://www.japanese-
lawtranslation.go.jp/law/
detail/?ft=2&re=01&dn=-
1&yo=%E6%B0%91%E6%-
B3%95&x=0&y=-
0&ia=03&ky=&page=4
Under Article 176 of the Penal
Code, sexual age of consent is
13 for both girls and boys, and
forcible rape or acts of inde-
cency on girls or boys under
age 13 are criminalized.
http://www.cas.go.jp/jp/
seisaku/hourei/data/PC_2.pdf
The Child Welfare Act states
that anyone below age 18 is
considered a child.
http://eiyaku.hounavi.jp/
taiyaku/s22a16401.php
Malaysia has a dual legal system. The age of sexual majority RA 6809 of the Phil- Age of consent
Section 10 of the Malaysia Law Reform in Pakistan is confined to ippines Family Code in Sri Lanka is
Marriage And Divorce Act of 1976, consent within cisgender, lowered the age of 16 for girls and
states that non-Muslim girls in Malaysia heterosexual, legally regis- consent from age boys.
between the ages of 16 and 18 can tered marriage. 21 to 18 for both
marry with the licensed authorisation girls and boys. The Gross
of the Chief Minister. Marriage for non The Majority Act of 1875 Indecency
-Muslims under age 16 is prohibited. determines age of majority http://www.chan- provision of
or legal age for sexual con- robles.com/repub- Section 365(a)
Section 8 of the Islamic Family Law sent as 18 for both women licactno6809.htm#. of the Penal
(Federal Territories) Act of 1984 states and men. UtzDFfawraY Code stipulates
that for Muslims, the minimum age of that age of
marriage is 16 years for girls and 18 for http://www.albarrtrust. Article 337 of the consent is below
boys, with an exception that permits com/Al%20Baar%20Web/ Revised Penal Code 16 for boys
Muslim girls and boys below these SCAN%20RULES/Major- indicates that sex havng same sex
ages to marry with the Sharia Court’s ity%20Act%201875.pdf with a woman relations if one
consent. under age 18 is partner is over
The Child Marriage Restrain treated as a crime 18.
http://wao.org.my/file/file/Malay- Act of 1929 stipulates the of seduction if
sian%20NGO%20CEDAW%20Alterna- marital age as 18 for boys the partner is in a
tive%20Report%202012%206MB.pdf and 16 for girls. position of authority,
Under Section 496B of such as a priest,
The Child Act of 2001 defines a child as household worker,
the Hudood Ordinance of
a person under 18 years of age. domestic worker,
1979, which is still in effect,
guardian, teacher.
pre-marital and extra marital
http://wao.org.my/file/file/Malay-
sex are prohibited and pun-
sian%20NGO%20CEDAW%20Alterna- http://www.
ishable, regardless of age of
tive%20Report%202012%206MB.pdf ageofconsent.com/
consent.
philippines.htm

Cross-Country Analysis 63
ARE SAME-SEX SEXUAL RELATIONS EXPLICITLY CRIMINALIZED, AND IF SO, FOR BOTH MEN AND WOMEN, OR
ONLY FOR MEN?

JAPAN MALAYSIA PAKISTAN PHILIPPINES SRI LANKA

Same-sex Section 377A of the Malaysia Penal Section 377 of the Pakistan In the Philippines, sex- Section 365A of the
relations are not Code criminalizes “carnal intercourse Penal Code criminalizes “carnal ual relations between Sri Lanka Penal Code
criminalized in against the order of nature,” which intercourse against the order of people of the same (Amendment) No. 22
Japan. is defined as “Any person who has nature,” which the state inter- sex is not prohibited of 2005 criminalizes
sexual connection with another prets primarily as anal sex and provided they do not same-sex relations for
person by the introduction of the bestiality (sex with an animal). violate provisions of both men and women.
penis into the anus or mouth of the This law applies to same sex the law that prohibit
other person.” relations between men and violence and force http://www.aidscontrol.
between women, where pene- that amount to sexual gov.lk/web/Web%20
Religious (sharia) law also crimi- tration can be established. assault, or sex in uploads/Policy%20
nalizes same sex sexual relations public, or sex under or%20Law/Penal%20
between men (liwat) and between There are no known prosecu- scandalous circum- Code%20(
women (musahaqah). Each of the 14 tions under Section 377. stances amounting to
states and Federal Territory of Kuala grave scandal, or sex Amendment)%20
Lumpur outline prohibitions and http://www.pakistani.org/ with a minor which Act,%20No.%20
punishment under different sections pakistan/legislation/1860/actXL- amounts to child 22%20of%201995.pdf
of their state’s sharia law. Vof1860.html. abuse.

DOES THE CONSTITUTION INCLUDE AN EQUALITY CLAUSE/NON-DISCRIMINATION CLAUSE?

JAPAN MALAYSIA PAKISTAN PHILIPPINES SRI LANKA

Article 14 of the Constitu-
tion of Japan states, “All of
the people are equal under
the law and there shall
be no discrimination in
political, economic or social
relations because of race,
creed, sex, social status or
family origin.”
http://www.kantei.go.jp/
foreign/constitution_and_
government/frame_01.html
Article 8 of the Malaysian Consti-
tution defines equality as “there
shall be no discrimination against
citizens on the ground only of
religion, race, descent, place of
birth or gender in any law or in
the appointment to any office
or employment under a public
authority or in the administra-
tion of any law relating to the
acquisition, holding or disposition
of property or the establishing
or carrying on of any trade,
business, profession, vocation or
employment.”
http://www.agc.gov.my/images/
Personalisation/Buss/pdf/
Federal%20Consti%20(BI%20
text).pdf
Article 25 of the Article 3, Section 1 of Chapter 3, Article 12
Pakistan Constitution the revised Philippine (2) of the 1978 Con-
declares equality and Constitution of 1987 stitution of Sri Lanka
prohibits discrimina- states, “no person shall defines equality as “no
tion, including on the be deprived of life, lib- citizen shall be discrim-
basis of sex. erty, or property without inated on the grounds
due process of law, nor of race, religion,
http://www.pakistani. shall any person be language, caste, sex,
org/pakistan/con- denied the equal protec- political opinion, place
stitution/part2.ch1. tion of the laws.” of birth, or anyone of
html#f32 such grounds.”
http://www.lawphil.net/
http://www.supreme-
consti/cons1987.html
court.lk/images/sto-
ries/supreme_court/
constitution17th.pdf

64 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
DOES THE CONSTITUTION ALLOW FOR RELIGIOUS LAWS TO OVERRIDE SECULAR LAWS?

JAPAN MALAYSIA PAKISTAN PHILIPPINES SRI LANKA

Article 20 of the The Malaysian Con-
Constitution of Japan stitution states that all
states, “No religious laws that contravene
organization shall the Federal Constitution
receive any privileges “must be cancelled as
from the State, nor the Federal Constitutions
exercise any political is the highest law of the
authority ... The State land.” However, Malaysia
and its organs shall has a dual legal system.
refrain from religious Sharia (Islamic) law
education or any other applies to all matters
religious activity.” relating to Muslims
– marriage, divorce,
http://www.kantei. religious observances,
go.jp/foreign/consti- sexual relations, gender
tution_and_govern- expression, marital age,
ment/frame_01.html etc.
The Objectives Resolution annexed Article 2, Section 6 of the Sri Lanka
to the Constitution of Pakistan and Philippines Constitution has a dual
Article 277 of the Constitution stip- states that separation of legal system. The
ulate that all laws must comply and Church and State shall be Marriage And
align with the Quran and Sunnah inviolable. Divorce Muslim
(practices of Prophet Muhammad). Act of 1951
http://www.lawphil.net/ allows Muslim
http://www.pakistani.org/pakistan/ consti/cons1987.html law to override
constitution/annex_objres.html secular law.
The Presidential Decree
Article 277 (1) states “All existing 1083, also known as Code http://www.
laws shall be brought in conformity of Muslim Personal Laws of srilankalaw.lk/
with the Injunctions of Islam as the Philippines, stipulates revised-statutes/
laid down in the Holy Quran and that where there is conflict volume-iv/728.
Sunnah, in this Part referred to as between secular laws and html
the Injunctions of Islam, and no law Muslim Personal Laws, the
shall be enacted which is repugnant “latter shall be construed to
to such Injunctions.” carry out the former.”

http://www.pakistani.org/pakistan/ http://www.chanrobles.com/
constitution/part9.html. presidentialdecreeno1083.
htm#.UuCeErSIbcc

WHICH LAWS INCLUDE OR SPECIFICALLY PROHIBIT VIOLENCE AND/OR DISCRIMINATION ON GROUNDS OF

SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND GENDER IDENTITY (SOGIE)?

JAPAN MALAYSIA PAKISTAN PHILIPPINES SRI LANKA

No laws in Japan No laws in Malaysia include No laws in Pakistan No federal law exists to spe- No laws in Sri Lanka
include or specifically or specifically prohibit vio- include or specifically cifically prohibit violence or include or specifically
prohibit violence and/ lence and/or discrimination prohibit violence and/or discrimination against LGBT prohibit violence and/
or discrimination on on grounds of SOGIE. discrimination on grounds people. However, there are or discrimination on
grounds of SOGIE. of SOGIE. local ordinances that do so grounds of SOGIE.
in the cities of Davao, Cebu,
Angeles, Dagupan, Bacolod
and Quezon City.

Also, the Equal Protection

Clause of the Bill of Rights
should protect LGBT people
from discrimination and con-
stitutionally guarantee LGBT
people the right to equal
treatment before the law.

http://www.chanrobles.com/
article3.htm#.Ut-zH9Kwrbg

Cross-Country Analysis 65
WHICH EXISTING LAWS ARE USED TO TARGET LBT PEOPLE FOR DISCRIMINATION, INTIMIDATION, HARASSMENT,
AND/OR CRIMINALIZATION?
JAPAN MALAYSIA
No laws in Japan are Section 377A of the Penal
used to target LBT Code criminalizes anal and
people for discrimi- oral sex, and applies to
nation, intimidation, all people, but singles out
harassment, and/or same-sex sexual relations.
criminalization.
Section 377D criminalizes
“outrages on decency,”
which is defined as “any
person who, in public or
private, commits, or abets
the commission of, or
procures or attempts to
procure the commission
by any person of, any act
of gross indecency with
another person.”
Section 21 of the Minor
Offenses Act criminalizes
drunken and disorderly
behavior in public places
and is used to arrest and
detain trans women.
http://www.agc.gov.my/
Akta/Vol.%207/Act%20
336.pdf
Dangerous Drugs Act is
used to conduct raids on
gay clubs and establish-
ments.
Sharia laws in each state
are used to criminalize
“male posing as woman”
and “female posing
as man,” liwat (sexual
relations between men)
and musahaqah (sexual
relations between women).
66 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
PAKISTAN
Under the Hudood Ordi-
nance of 1979, all sexual
activity outside heterosex-
ual marriage, regardless
of consent, is considered
fornication, and as such
automatically criminalized.
Section 377 of the Pakistan
Penal Code, which
criminalizes anal sex and
bestiality applies to all
people but it is rarely used
against heterosexual peo-
ple and instead is a threat
to people in same-sex
relationships. There have
been no prosecutions un-
der this law. Section 377
is also used to coerce and
threaten transgender peo-
ple who are street beggars
and/or sex workers, both
of whom are vulnerable to
police abuse.
PHILIPPINES
Article 46, Section 4 of
the Family Code of the
Revised Constitution of
the Philippines of 1987
references homosexuality
and lesbianism in the list of
circumstances for fraudulent
marriages. Article 55, Section
6 lists homosexuality and
lesbianism as grounds for
legal separation, and upon
annulment of marriage, the
homosexual spouse loses
right of inheritance from
other spouse and loses right
to any conjugal property.
http://filipinawives.com/
FamilyCodePhilippines.htm
Section 5 of RA 9048
prohibits transgender and
transsexual individuals from
changing their first name or
sex on their birth certificates.
http://www.tsphilippines.
com/
RA 9208 or the Anti-Traffick-
ing in Persons Law of 2003
is used to punish gay men
clients of a sex worker.
http://www.lawphil.net/
statutes/repacts/ra2003/
ra_9208_2003.html
The expanded Anti-Traffick-
ing Law of 2012 broadens
police powers and is used
by police to target premises
frequented by LGBT people
for arbitrary raids.
http://www.gov.
ph/2013/02/06/repub-
lic-act-no-10364/
SRI LANKA
Gross Indecency Law
under Section 365A of
the Penal Code (Amend-
ment) No. 22 of 2005.
Vagrants Ordinance of
1842 penalizes public
loitering which is open
to interpretation by po-
lice and tends to target
sex workers, transgender
people and/or anyone
with non-conforming
gender expression.
Those arrested under
this law are vulnerable
to sexual harassment,
sexual abuse and
mistreatment while in
detention, particularly
low-income transgender
women and men, and
low-income women
whose gender expres-
sion is on the masculine
spectrum.
Section 399 of the
Penal Code, which
penalizes Cheating By
Personation, targets
women “disguised as
men” and trans women
for “misleading the
public.” Personation is
defined as pretending to
be some other person,
knowingly substituting
one person for another,
or misrepresentation.
JAPAN
STRIVING FOR DIGNITY
AND RESPECT
Experiences of Violence and Discrimination as
Told by LBT Persons in Japan

GAY JAPAN NEWS

CONTE NTS

INTRODUCTION..........................................................................................................................................73
Summary of Findings..................................................................................................................................73
INTERVIEWEE DEMOGRAPHICS..............................................................................................................74
COUNTRY CONTEXT...................................................................................................................................74
The Family......................................................................................................................................................74
Women’s Rights............................................................................................................................................75
LGBT Rights....................................................................................................................................................76
MANIFESTATIONS OF VIOLENCE.............................................................................................................77
Emotional Violence by State Actors..........................................................................................................78
Emotional Violence by Non-State Actors................................................................................................78
Physical Violence..........................................................................................................................................78
Indirect Discrimination or Violence..........................................................................................................79
Direct Discrimination or Violence.............................................................................................................79
Invisibility as Violence..................................................................................................................................80
Sexual Violence.............................................................................................................................................81
Targeted as Women.....................................................................................................................................81
Sexual Violence by Family Members.......................................................................................................82
Intimate Partner Violence...........................................................................................................................82
WORKPLACE DISCRIMINATION AND VIOLENCE.................................................................................84
IMPACT OF VIOLENCE AND COPING METHODS................................................................................87
ACCESS TO REDRESS AND SEEKING HELP FOR VIOLENCE..............................................................90
LAWS AFFECTING LBT PEOPLE................................................................................................................91
RECOMMENDATIONS................................................................................................................................95
APPENDIX A: GLOSSARY OF TERMS.......................................................................................................97
APPENDIX B: METHODOLOGY................................................................................................................98
72 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia

INTRODUCTION
This research project was undertaken
by Gay Japan News, a non-commercial
online news source and advocacy group
with volunteer staff members, and the
International Gay and Lesbian Human
Rights Commission (IGLHRC), a human
rights non-governmental organization
(NGO) with United Nations consultative
status. Gay Japan News received funding
from the Global Fund for Women to
replicate the methodology in Japanese
and carry out documentation. Prior to the
research, Gay Japan News had submitted
information based on interviews with
stakeholders to the United Nations about
the human rights situation of lesbian, gay,
bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people
in Japan. We lacked information about
direct LGBT experiences, especially
experiences of violence against lesbian,
bisexual and transgender (LBT) people
because documentation on this issue
did not exist. This was the main reason
that we decided to take part in this
research project.
From November 2010 to March 2012, Japan
research team members interviewed 50 LBT
people about their experiences of violence. In
this research, “violence” referred to physical,
emotional or sexual violence. Discrimination,
which contributed to violence, was also included.
During outreach, we had to refrain from using
the term “violence” because it sounded too strong
to respondents and even to some of the team
members. In order not to scare people away, we
explained the purpose of the research and listed
violent acts to help people understand the focus
of the research.
Summary of Findings
The most frequently experienced form of
violence for our LBT respondents was emotional
violence – 31 interviewees reported that they
were “hurt,” “stunned,” “unbearably injured,”
or “humiliated” by emotional violence, which
included being subjected to degrading words
about sexual orientation or gender identity, and
being forced to keep their identities invisible.
Sexual violence was another prevalent form of
violence experience by 28 out of the 50 LBT
respondents.
Perpetrators of violence were mostly non-state
actors. There were only three documented cases
of state actor violence in this research. This is
because most of our respondents were very careful
about which state actors they “came out” to, or
to whom they disclosed their sexual orientation
or gender identity. Usually, coming out to state
actors was based on medical urgency or needing
to legally change gender.
Almost all LBT respondents who experienced
violence went to self-help groups for people who
identified as seku mai (a Japanese term for sexual
and gender minorities). None of our respondents
who faced violence went to professionals like psy-
chiatrists, psychologists or lawyers because they
did not expect to receive LBT sensitive help.
Japan: Striving for Dignity and Respect 73
 project’s researchers. The different regions did not
INTERVIEWEE show differences in respondents’ experiences of
violence. The only noteworthy difference was that
DEMOGRAPHICS respondents in Kanto and Kansai regions, which
are Japan’s largest regions, had greater access to
For this project, we interviewed 50 people1 who
self-help groups.
were survivors of some form of violence motivated
by their sexual orientation or gender identity.
The average age of our sample was 36 with the
Twenty-one respondents identified as transgender
youngest being 22 and the oldest 58. Experiences
with diverse sexual orientation, fourteen identified
of violence were not different because of the age
as lesbians, eight identified as bisexual women, two
of respondents.
identified as pansexual woman, and five used other
identifiers, including “gender queer,” “non-heteronor-
Thirty-five respondents had finished tertiary level
mative woman,” or FtX. (Some transgender people
education while twelve had finished secondary level.
who do not identify as women or men, identify as
(No information was available for two respondents.)
female-to-X. This identity is often used by women
The respondents’ level of education did not corre-
who do not conform to the heteronormative
spond to forms of violence they experienced.
culture and because of that would rather not
identify themselves as female in Japan.)

JAPAN COUNTRY CONTEXT

LOCATIONS OF LBT INDIVIDUALS INTERVIEWED

RUSSIAN
The Family
FEDERATION
CHINA

One of the most important relationships in

HOKKAIDO Japanese society is the parent-child relationship.
A 2007 white paper on national “lifestyle,” titled
DEM. PEOPLE’S
REP. OF KOREA “A comfortable way of life for the Japanese people,
founded on personal relationships,”2 stated that
HONSHU
the majority of Japanese people believe that only
REPUBLIC
OF KOREA Tokyo lineal and marital relationships constitute family.
Nagoya People are also expected to respect their parents and
PACIFIC
Osaka OCEAN obey them, a belief influenced by Confucianism.
SHIKOKU Although today more people stay unmarried – due
KYUSHU to economic barriers to forming one’s own family,
few chances of meeting the right partner, and the
PHILIPPINE
SEA
150 KM younger generation increasingly being indifferent
to marriage3 – getting married and having children
is still considered important to prevent a family
Interviews were conducted in six different regions,
namely, Tohoku, Kanto, Chubu, Kansai, Chugoku,
and Kyushu/Okinawa. The regions were selected 2 “White Paper on the National Lifestyle 2007: A comfortable way of
on the basis of their geographic proximity to the life for the Japanese people, founded on personal relationships,”
Japan Cabinet Office, accessed February 21, 2013, http://www5.
cao.go.jp/seikatsu/whitepaper/h19/06_eng/index.html.

1 One interview with a transgender respondent had to be 3 “Annual Population and Social Security Survey (The National
stopped. The respondent had a flashback during the interview Fertility Survey),” Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (2010),
and could not continue. The respondent did not want to accessed February 21, 2013, http://www.ipss.go.jp/ps-doukou/j/
reschedule. doukou14_s/doukou14_s.asp.

74 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
name from going extinct. Equally significant,
harmony in family relationships remains a priority
to Japanese people in the same way that harmony
in society is seen as important. This “harmony” in
Japanese culture means that one does not bring
shame to other family members and one does not
advocate for their individual rights. Advocating for
one’s own rights and defying traditional roles and
family expectations can be considered selfish.
Women’s Rights
The movement to stop violence against women
in Japan started in the 1980s. The women’s and
feminist movements have fundamentally changed
the legal and social situation for women in Japan.
In 1986, the Japanese government legislated
the Equal Employment Opportunity Law to ratify
the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination Against Women adopted in 1979 by
the United Nations General Assembly.4 In 1995,
a group of feminists who took part in the Fourth
World Conference on Women in Beijing started
advocating for an anti-domestic violence law in
Japan. The law was enacted in 2001 to protect
victims of spousal violence.5 The Anti-Stalking
Law was enacted in 2002 – prompted by a 1999
case in which a woman was stalked and murdered
by her ex-boyfriend.6 In 1991, Korean women
who had been sexually enslaved by the Japanese
army during the Second World War broke their
silence and came out as “comfort women,” revealing
what they had suffered. After much denial of
responsibility, the Japanese government set up
the Asian Women’s Fund in 1995 to compensate
them, which was operational until 2007.7
4 General Assembly Resolution 34/180 of December 18, 1979.
5 Law regarding Prevention from Spousal Violence and
Protection of the Victims, Law No. 31, 2003, last amended on
July 11, 2009 as Law No. 113, accessed November 8, 2012,
http://www.gender.go.jp/dv/dvhou.html.
6 Anti-Stalking Law. Law No 81 of May 24, 2000.
7 “Regarding the Situation and Future of the Asia Women’s
Fund,” Ministry of Foreign Affairs, accessed January 13, 2014,
http://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/area/taisen/murayama_kk.html.
These developments on domestic and international
levels heightened social awareness in Japan about
violence against women. In 2001, the Japanese
government launched the national Campaign to
End Violence Against Women, which was headed by
the Gender Equality Bureau of the Prime Minister’s
Cabinet Office and renewed every year.8
Despite these positive steps, women’s human
rights in Japan are still taken lightly. The Japanese
government has failed to provide effective protection
and redress for women who are victims of violence
and have failed to adequately prevent all women
from becoming victims of violence. For instance,
in the 2011 Survey on Violence between Men
and Women, conducted by the Gender Equality
Bureau, 7.7% of women who responded said they
were forced to have intercourse at least once and
only 3.7% of them said they reported the rape to
police.9 According to the 1998 Survey on Mental
Health and Health of Children and Family by
Japan’s Sexology Information Center, 1 in 6.4 girls
and 1 in 17.4 boys experience sexual abuse at least
once until the age of 12.10 According to 2012 data
from the National Police Agency of Japan, police
received 19,920 reports of domestic violence and
55 reports of murders of battered women over
that twelve-month period.11 This report only cap-
tures reported domestic violence, which suggests
8 “Campaign to End Violence against Women,” Gender Equality
Bureau, Cabinet Office, accessed on November 9, 2012,
http://www.gender.go.jp/honbu/130605a.html. The campaign
describes violence against women as “violence by husband
or partner, sexual assault, buying and selling sex, sexual
harassment, stalking and others severely violates women’s
human rights and is an important issue to be overcome
to realize gender equal society. Violence in principle can
never be tolerated against anyone regardless of their sex,
perpetrator or relationship between victim and perpetrator.
Violence specifically against women must be promptly tackled
considering the situation regarding violence and social
structure men and women live in.”
9 Information of Assistance in Incidents of Spousal Violence, Gender
Equality Bureau, Cabinet Office, accessed January 13, 2014, http://
www.gender.go.jp/e-vaw/chousa/h24_boryoku_cyousa.html.
10 T. Yoshida, “Children and Sexual Abuse,” Shueisha Shinsho (2001).
11 “ 2012 White Paper on Crimes,” National Police Agency,
accessed on January 13, 2013, http://hakusyo1.moj.go.jp/jp/59/
nfm/mokuji.html.
Japan: Striving for Dignity and Respect 75
an incomplete picture of actual prevalence, which
is usually much higher.12
Many women and girls, including women who are
sexual minorities, still suffer from gender-based
violence. Yet, LBT people in Japan often do
not consider themselves to be included under
the anti-domestic violence legislation or in the
Campaign to End Violence Against Women. For the
most part, this is because they are not explicitly
covered by the legislation, which is premised on
the notion that perpetrators of domestic violence
can only be men or husbands, and also because
they feel excluded by Japanese society as a whole.
This exclusion and the silence around violence
against LBT people in Japan were the impetus
for the research and documentation project we
undertook between 2010 and 2012.
LGBT Rights
In the last ten years, more data has become
available about the situation and experiences of
gay and bisexual men.13 However, very little data
exists on lesbians, bisexual women and transgen-
der men.14 This lack of representation of lesbians,
bisexual women and transgender men can be
attributed to the silence surrounding issues of
this population of Japanese society. On the other
12 T he statistics cited above are not disaggregated based on
sexual orientation or gender identity.
13 R esearch on “Hard-to-reach populations and stigmatized topics”
such as Internet-based mental health research has focused
on Japanese men who are gay, bisexual, or questioning their
sexual orientation. Research on suicide has also focused on
Japanese homosexual, bisexual or men questioning their sexual
orientation. Y. Hidaka and D. Operario, “Internet and Suicide”
(Nova Science Publishers, Inc., 2009); T. Homma, Ono-M Kihara,
S. Zamani, Y. Nishimura, E. Kobori, Y. Hidaka, S.M. Rabari, and
M. Kihara, “Demographic and behavioral characteristics of male
sexually transmitted disease patients in Japan: a nationwide case-
control study,” Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Vol. 35 (2008).
14 “ Survey on Sexuality of 310 Non-Heterosexual Women” by
Sexuality Survey Group (Nanatsumori Shokan, September 1995)
is the only comprehensive documentation of experiences of
lesbians, bisexual women and transgender women including
their experiences of sexual harassment and sexual violence.
76 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
hand, transgender women are visible in research
and have become more socially recognized since
the enactment of the Gender Identity Disorder law
in 2003.15 This law enabled all transgender people
(women and men) to indicate their chosen gender
in the koseki (family register), but only after they
had been diagnosed with Gender Identity Disor-
der and thus acquiesced to defining their iden-
tity as a pathology.16 Koseki is a legal document
that works as a root document for other legal
identity cards. It is the Japanese system of family
registration by which births, deaths, marriages
and divorces of Japanese nationals are recorded.
It plays a central role in Japanese Family Law.
The koseki contains the following information:
a person’s name, sex assigned at birth, dates of
records and events such as adoption, marriage and
death, names of the father and the mother, and
the relationship to them, if adopted, names of the
adoptive father and mother, if married, whether
the person is a husband or a wife, if transferred
from another koseki, the former koseki, and the
person’s registered permanent residence. The sex
stated in the koseki is reflected in most of the im-
portant legal documents including pension books
and applications for national health insurance and
unemployment insurance. In some municipalities,
the gender of each person does not appear on
their national health insurance cards and driver’s
licenses as a result of advocacy by transgender
people who showed that the gender column on
identity cards constituted a barrier to them being
able to access public services.
15 A variety of studies on transgender women’s issues exist, including
mental health, bullying in schools, and employment. These studies
are conducted by members of the Japanese Society of Gender
Identity Disorder, including Mikiya Nakatsuka, Katsuki Harima,
Keichiro Ishimaru, and Yoshie Matsushima, accessed on January
31, 2014, http://ikiru.ncnp.go.jp/ikiru-hp/110913_1/22.pdf.
16 L aw Concerning Special Cases Regarding Gender of People
with Gender Identity Disorder, Law No. 111, adopted on July
16, 2003, accessed November 6, 2012, http://law.e-gov.go.jp/
htmldata/H15/H15HO111.html;
Law on Partial Amendments to the Law Concerning Special
Cases Regarding Gender of People with Gender Identity
Disorder, Law No. 70, adopted on June 18, 2008, accessed on
November 6, 2012, http://www.shugiin.go.jp/itdb_housei.nsf/
html/housei/16920080618070.htm.
The visibility of gay men and transgender women
is also evident in Japanese television programs
although these programs often mock them.17 For
the reason stated earlier, lesbians, bisexual women
and transgender men tend to be far less visible in
the daily television programs.
LBT people are subject to stereotypes,
mockery and negative attitudes.
Overall, LGBT people are generally not portrayed by
mass media or perceived by Japanese society-at-large
as family members, friends, colleagues or neighbors.
In Japanese society, anyone who is perceived as
different from the majority is seen as abnormal or
an outsider. This not only affects LGBT people18
but also people with disabilities, burakumin,19 ethnic
minorities such as indigenous Ainu and Ryukyu,
Koreans, Chinese and newcomers,20 people born out
of wedlock, single-parent families, leprosy patients,
and people with HIV/AIDS. Lack of human rights
education in schools contributes to these miscon-
ceptions. In the case of gender and sexual minorities,
lack of sex or sexuality education in schools
contributes to these misconceptions.
In place of factual, positive and affirming informa-
tion, LBT people are subject to stereotypes, mockery
17 G
 ay men who appear in TV programs are often cross-dressing
and laughed at by others. Transgender women who appear in
TV programs are sometimes referred to and treated as men or
called by the names they were given at birth.
18 Sam Shoushi, “Japan and Sexual Minorities” FOCUS June 2008
Volume 52, Asia-Pacific Human Rights Information Center,
accessed on February 3, 2014, http://www.hurights.or.jp/archives/
focus/section2/2008/06/japan-and-sexual-minorities.html.
19 T he burakumin are descendants of outcast communities
of the feudal era, which are mainly comprised of those
with occupations considered “tainted” with death or ritual
impurity (such as executioners, undertakers, workers in
slaughterhouses, butchers or tanners), and traditionally lived
in their own secluded hamlets and ghettos. “Burakumin,”
Wikipedia, accessed on February 3, 2014, http://www.princeton.
edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Burakumin.html.
20 N
 ew comers are migrants who came to Japan mainly during the
second wave of migration of foreign nationals in and after the 1980s.
Solidarity Network with Migrants Japan homepage, accessed on
February 3, 2014, http://www.migrants.jp/v1/English/English.html.
and negative attitudes. The prejudice towards
people of diverse sexualities and gender identities
is so subtle and invisible that LBT people in Japan
internalize it. Many LBT people do not even
consider this to be a form of violence; they take
for granted that they will be mocked and believe
they simply must bear it. One consequence of
living in and internalizing a prejudiced environment
is that when LBT people experience violence or
discrimination, they keep it inside.
They take for granted that they will be
mocked and believe they simply must bear it.
They fear unwanted attention to their sexual
orientation and gender identity, and they fear
that they might be mocked just like the gay and
transgender characters on television or rejected by
families, friends and neighbors.
MANIFESTATIONS OF
VIOLENCE
All of the LBT respondents interviewed for this
project experienced some form of violence:
emotional violence, sexual violence, and/or physical
violence, and/or some form of discrimination that
led to violence on the basis of their gender identity,
sexual orientation or gender expression.
The most frequently experienced form of violence
among those interviewed was emotional violence.
Perpetrators of violence were divided into two
groups: state and non-state actors. Non-state actors
include both institutions and private individuals.
Respondents experienced violence both in the private
and public spheres. State perpetrators included a
municipal board of education, teachers and other
school staff. Non-state perpetrators included
medical professionals, private employers, and media.
Private individuals who perpetrated violence in-
cluded immediate family members, relatives, friends,
partners or ex-partners, partner’s family, classmates,
colleagues, neighbors, landlords and passersby.
Japan: Striving for Dignity and Respect 77
Emotional Violence by State Actors
In Japan, men and women are expected to dress,
talk and behave according to a strict code of
conduct that has to be consistent with their sex at
birth. This code of conduct is enforced at home,
workplaces, medical institutions, public facilities
and schools. In public and private schools (both
of which must comply with directives from the
Ministry of Education), uniforms are different for
female and male students, especially in junior high
and high schools – skirt and blouse for girls, suits
or black stand-up collar shirts for boys.
• From elementary school to high school,
teachers told K,21 a transgender female-to-
male respondent to, “behave like a woman.”
K reported thinking, “I cannot be feminine,
because I’m a man.” He silently bore his
teachers telling him to act in accordance with
his sex assigned at birth, because he did not
expect them to understand his gender identity.
• Mami22, a transgender male-to-female school-
teacher who looks womanly because of her
long hair was told by school administrators
to wear a tie or she would be “punished.”
The Board of Education in Hokuriku region
ordered her “to take a year off to participate
in “some kind of training” and have sex
reassignment surgery during the year off.”
This instruction from the Board meant not
being able to give her students notice that she
was leaving for a year. Mami had been going
to a gender clinic to get estrogen hormone
injections and did not at the time want sex
reassignment surgery, so she was “shocked”
that the school required that she undergo
surgery as a condition of employment.
• K, a transgender man respondent said, “My
supervisor at university kept referring to me as
she. I told him that what he was doing to me
was violence because my dignity was hurt.”23
21 K, Yamashita interview, Kansai region, Japan, November 13, 2011.
22 Mami, Masuhara interview, Chubu region, Japan, February 12, 2012.
23 K, Yamashita interview, Kansai region, Japan, November 13, 2011.
78 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
Emotional Violence by Non-State Actors
The most frequently experienced form of violence
among those interviewed was emotional violence.
In this study, emotional violence is interpreted as
emotions that individuals feel as a consequence of
violence. For instance, 31 respondents felt “hurt,”
“stunned,” “unbearably injured,” or “humiliated”
after degrading words were directed at them on
the basis of their sexual orientation and gender
identity, or when they encountered indirect com-
mentary that rendered their identities invisible.
• One psychiatrist told an FtX24 respondent
that she “should not focus on your concerns
about gender” but “the [more] important
point is what she would do at work.”25
• Staff at a medical clinic told Aya,26 a trans-
gender woman, “not to come here like that.”
Aya usually wears women’s clothing, however,
the clinical worker told her to “wear a pair
of jersey27 when you come here” so as “not
to confuse” other patients at the clinic. In
this instance, Aya’s gender non-conformity
appeared to take greater precedence for the
clinic than her health needs.
Physical Violence
A,28 a transgender female-to-male college student,
said, “[I]n my elementary school days, I had to
carry a red satchel to school.” Elementary school
students usually carry satchels in Japan. Red was a
popular satchel color for girls and black for boys.
A’s mother expected him to carry a red one. A
“used to feel uncomfortable with the red satchel”
since the color did not correspond to his gender
24 See Terminology.
25 Ajima, Uchida interview, Tohoku region, Japan, December 26, 2011.
26 Aya, Shimada interview, Kansai region, February 3, 2012.
27 J ersey refers to long-sleeved T-shirt and trousers made of
jersey material. It is considered a unisex outfit and is usually
worn by students.
28 A, Yamashita interview, Tokyo, Japan, January 29, 2011.
identity. His mother beat and slapped him and
deprived him food when A did not wear the girl’s
school uniform she made for him.
Indirect Discrimination or Violence
identity. Ken also recalled a moment when
he tried to tell his friend about his gender
identity by saying that he supported sexual
minorities. “My friend said ‘These people are
monsters.’ I know she didn’t mean it at me,
but I was very hurt by that.”31

Perpetrators may not have always intended to

hurt the respondents but often did nonetheless. Direct Discrimination or Violence
Remarks that perpetrators made to respondents
seemed to reflect their general contempt towards Derogatory terms and critical phrases directed
Japanese people with a non-conforming sexual at LBT people because of their gender identity,
orientation, gender identity or gender expression. sexual orientation and/or gender expression was a
commonly reported form of emotional violence.
• Ajima,29 who identifies as FtX “feels stared at”
on trains and on the street. Ajima explained,
“No one is quite hostile to me, but I know
they [people on the street] are wondering
what I am.” She experienced hostile gazes so
often that she had to “normalize” the con-
stant staring (meaning, accept the staring as
understandable and pretend to accept it) in
order to cope. Ajima also recalled that when
coming out, “A friend of mine said ‘You must
be kidding me!’ and didn’t take me seriously.
It emotionally stunned me.”
• Nana,30 a lesbian, recalled being suspended
from piano lessons when she was young
for unconsciously having expressed her
attraction to another girl. The girl’s parents
noticed and reported to her piano teacher.
After her suspension was lifted, she was
told to “be normal next time.”
• Ken, a closeted transgender man who has
lived as a wife, mother, daughter-in-law and • Classmates of Kanaya,32 a bisexual woman in
woman for most of his life said, “My neigh- her early 20s, wrote, “That bitch is a les33” on
bor sees me … and questions, ‘Why doesn’t a window of the bus she took daily to school.
she wear a skirt?’ or ‘Why doesn’t she wear
• When Suzuki,34 a non-heteronormative
make-up?’ They wonder why I don’t set my
woman, age 25, was caught by her mother
hair [like other women.]” Ken represses his
in a moment of intimacy with a friend, her
gender identity around his family, friends and
mother asked “Are you les?”
neighbors and has to function as a woman.
Only the LBT people he meets at a local
sexual minorities group know his real gender
31 Ken, Masaki interview, Tohoku region, Japan, February 7, 2012.

32 Kanaya, Yamashita interview, Tohoku region, Japan, July 2, 2011.

29 Ajima, Uchida interview, Tohoku region, Japan, December 26, 2011. 33 See Terminology.

30 Nana, Yamashita interview, Tohoku region, Japan, July 1, 2011. 34 Suzuki, Ragi interview, Kanto region, Japan, March 7, 2012.

Japan: Striving for Dignity and Respect 79

 • The mother of the partner of Takeru,35 a
heterosexual transgender man, 50, kept
telling him, “You’re disgusting” when she
found out that Takeru and her daughter
were in a serious relationship. The mother
said to him, “You betrayed me. What have
you done to my daughter?”
• Aya,36 a transgender woman, said that when
she was little, “Even my brothers would
call me okama.” As an adult, Aya ran for
election as a City Assembly member, and she
disclosed her gender identity. Throughout
her campaign whenever she gave speeches,
passersby flung the same derogatory word at
Aya that her brothers had used.
• Kazuko37 was accused of having a relationship
with her same-sex colleague. Her cousin said
to her, “Are you out of your mind? I am going
to tell your mother and her parents what’s
going on. You destroyed the whole family.”
• For six months, the parents of Airi,38 a lesbian,
kept pressuring her to enter a psychiatric insti-
tution. They went to the apartment where Airi
lived with her partner and shouted, “Open
the door!” They blamed her partner, So39, for
their relationship. Airi remembers her parents,
“getting excited and starting to hit the table.”
• A, an FtM respondent, said he felt “hurt”
when his female classmate approached him
and asked whether he had a sanitary pad.40
The classmate was aware of A’s gender
identity and meant this to hurt him.
Invisibility as Violence
Six respondents said they did not experience
violence because their sexual orientation or gender
identity was not visible. Since they were exposed
to negative attitudes and statements daily, this
made them careful not to disclose their sexual ori-
entation and gender identity so that they, or even
their families, would not face discrimination or
violence. However, for some, being in the closet
was also a form of violence.
• Ueki,41 a 22-year-old lesbian, said, “I’ve
always had that feeling of being oppressed,
not being able to tell who I really am, lying
about myself to friends, and disappointing
my mother if [I] came out…I haven’t come
out for 22 years. I’ve taken it for granted
now [to feel this way.]”
• Kimura, a bisexual woman, said that she had
never experienced violence “in a clear way,”
but she actually experienced psychological vi-
olence. Kimura felt “hurt every time someone
said something hostile or prejudiced” about
people of sexual minorities.
• Yuki, a bisexual woman who encountered
denial by her family when she came out,
stopped trying to talk about her sexual ori-
entation to other people. She said, “[Clear
forms of ] violence is not an issue for me.
For me, [the issue is] that I do not feel
myself anymore [by the denial and other un-
intended yet abusive words by others.]”
• Mami, a transgender male-to-female school
teacher who worked as a male teacher, said,
“I wouldn’t mind being out [about my gen-
der identity] and facing violence, but I do
mind having my family members affected by
me being out.”

35 Takeru, Masaki interview, Kanto region, Japan, February 17, 2012.

36 Aya, Yamashita interview, Kansai region, Japan, January 3, 2011.

37 Kazuko, Masaki interview, Tohoku region, Japan, February 25, 2012.

38 Airi, Masaki interview, Tohoku region, Japan, February 5, 2012.

39 So, Masaki interview, Tohoku region, Japan, February 24, 2012.

40 Hideto, Masaki interview, Tohoku region, Japan, December 28, 2011. 41 Ueki, Masuhara interview, Chubu region, February 11, 2012.

80 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
 consent after he had asked her out. She said, “I
Sexual Violence can call the incident a sexual act without my
consent, because I didn’t expect it, but I’m not
Sexual violence was another prevalent form of sure this is violence.” She blamed herself.
violence experienced by our respondents.
• Masaki, a transgender man who experienced
unwanted sexual intercourse said, “[I’m not
Twenty-eight of the LBT people interviewed
sure] if this is considered violence.” Masaki
indicated that they experienced sexual violence at
implied that he did not fight back, which may
least once in their lifetime.
explain why he does not consider it sexual
• Yamada,42 a transgender female-to-male violence or name what he experienced as rape.
respondent, was sexually abused by his girl
classmates because of his gender expression.
Transgender women felt the sexual violence
He said, “When I was in high school, a
was because of their gender as women, which
group of some ten girls grabbed me and
they felt made them vulnerable to sexual
took my clothes off saying “Which [gender]
violence (like cisgender women).
are you?” He was “still deeply hurt” and had
“frozen the memory for a long time.”
There could be a number of reasons for not
• When Aya,43 a transgender woman, was
recognizing sexual violence as violence. Chief
in her third year in high school, a group
among them are: non-comprehensive and narrow
of more than ten boy classmates including
legislative definitions of sexual violence, limited
bystanders surrounded her and touched her
societal recognition of what sexual violence is, and
genitalia. She “tried so hard to forget what
the influence of larger societal thinking on respon-
happened but couldn’t and still can’t.”
dents’ perceptions. No legislation in Japan defines
• When Asami44 came out to her heterosexual “sexual violence” while rape is narrowly defined as
male friends as lesbian, she was told “to try “adultery against a woman who is thirteen years old
[to have sex with] a man.” or above with use of violence or threats” or “adultery
against a girl who is below thirteen.”47 See the section
Most of respondents did not recognize their ex- on the legal landscape in this chapter.
periences as violence until the interviewer in this
project read out examples of sexual violence listed
on the questionnaire. Targeted as Women
• Meg,45 a transgender male-to-female lesbian,
Twenty-eight LBT respondents experienced sexual
said, “I don’t know if this is violence, but he
violence from coworkers, classmates, strangers and
started shaking my hands and then ended
family members. These respondents stated that
up touching my buttocks. I certainly didn’t
the reason for the sexual violence was “because of be-
feel comfortable.”
ing woman” or because “their perpetrators perceived
• A man kissed Nomiya,46 a transgender male- them as women.” This means that these lesbian and
to-female lesbian, in an elevator without her bisexual respondents felt the sexual violence they
suffered was unrelated to their self-identified sexual
orientation. On the other hand, transgender women
42 Yamada, Masaki interview, Tokyo, Japan, February 19, 2012.

43 Aya, Aya, Shimada interview, Kansai region, February 3, 2012.

47 A rticle 177-180, Criminal Code, Law No. 45, adopted on April
44 Asami, Shimada interview, Kansai, Japan, January 29, 2012. 24, 1907, last amendment made on June 24, 2011, accessed
on February 20, 2013, http://law.e-gov.go.jp/htmldata/M40/
45 Meg, Ragi interview, Kansai region, Japan, January 20, 2012.
M40HO045.html#10020000000220000000000000000000000
46 Nomiya, Yamashita interview, Tokyo, Japan, February 11, 2011. 00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Japan: Striving for Dignity and Respect 81

felt the sexual violence was because of their • Neko,51 a bisexual woman recalled her
gender as women, which they felt made them cousin touching her breasts in her early
vulnerable to sexual violence (like cisgender twenties. She said, “People hold you up in
women). However, transgender men who the sky when you are little, right? He held
experienced sexual violence felt their changed me in the sky like that and touched my
gender was disregarded and they were targeted breasts. I wasn’t sure if it was intentional or
for sexual violence as women. unintentional, but I couldn’t tell anyone.
So, I felt it was wrong.”
• Male colleagues at an after-work get-together
touched Yoshihara, a transgender woman.
She said, “I’m touched frequently. If a man
touches a woman [who is biologically female,]
Sexual Violence by Family Members
it will be a problem. But if he touches me,
Our findings showed that members of the
that does not seem to become a problem.” In
family sometimes perpetrated sexual violence.
Japanese culture, people don’t touch, kiss or
In two earlier examples of sexual violence by
hug people they are not familiar with or close
family members, respondents attributed the
to. Being touched by a co-worker with whom
assaults to their being women or girl children.
there is no close relationship creates much
But others spoke of the violence being directly
discomfort and is experienced as disrespect.
related to their sexual orientation or gender
• Meg, a transgender woman, felt the same. identity. A transgender woman spoke of her
She said, “[My male colleague] started shaking experience.
hands with me and ended up touching my
• Mao,52 a transgender woman, said, “[My
buttocks… It would be sexual harassment if
uncle] touched [my breasts]… after I had
he had been touching an ordinary woman,
breast implants. He did it repeatedly.”
right? But is it also sexual harassment if he’s
touching me?” • Ken,53 a transgender man, said, his father-
in-law attempted to rape him twice “for
• Ozawa,48 a woman in her fifties who
being perceived as a woman.”
identified her sexual orientation as “ques-
tioning,”49 was molested on a train and
encountered exhibitionists on the streets
multiple times in her life. She said: “I’ve
Intimate Partner Violence
only been living as a very ordinary girl and
Twelve of the 28 respondents experienced sexual
woman. [People] won’t be able to tell [that
violence by their partner, ex-partner or a date.
I’m lesbian] by my appearance. In that
sense, I share difficulties that women gener- • Shoko54 experienced being stalked by her
ally face. No special difficulty [because of ex same-sex partner. The ex hid and waited
my sexual orientation].” for her to come home and raped her. After
the incident, she fled to Tokyo for safety
• Nami,50 a lesbian, remembered being
without informing the ex.
sexually abused by her father intermittently
when she was in the fifth or sixth grade. The
reason she gave was “because of being born as
a girl.”

51 Neko, L’Heruerx interview, Kansai region, December 26, 2011.

48 Ozawa, Yamashita interview, Tohoku region, January 14, 2012. 52 Mao, Uchida interview, Tohoku region, Japan, January 24, 2012

49 See Terminology. 53 Ken, Ken, Masaki interview, Tohoku region, Japan, February 7, 2012.

50 Nami, Ragi interview, Kansai region, Japan, February 29, 2012. 54 Shoko, Masaki interview, Tokyo, Japan, February 18, 2012.

82 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
 NANA
Nana, 33 years old, is a lesbian residing in a
town in Tohoku with her parents, younger brother,
and a cat. She was working as a bar hostess when we
spoke to her. Her highest level of education is junior
college. She has experienced sexual, psychological and
economic violence because of her sexual orientation.
Her piano teacher in elementary suspended her
because Nana unconsciously expressed her attraction
to another girl at the piano school. The girl’s parents
had noticed it and reported to the piano teacher. After
her suspension was lifted, Nana was told to “be normal
next time.” She remembers being “very hurt as a child.”
When she was 21, Nana’s aunt “found out” Nana’s
sexual orientation from her gender expression. The
aunt pressured her to go to a psychiatrist to be “cured.”
In junior college, she dated a man to “cure” her
sexual orientation. The man raped Nana, resulting in
physical injuries. He also stalked Nana. She did not tell
anyone about what happened because she thought, “it
was my fault.” She did consider calling the police when
she was being stalked but was afraid. “Police would ask
questions and my lesbianism would eventually be revealed.
I thought they might blame me for letting the man rape
or stalk me,” she said.
Nana came out voluntarily to a music teacher
when she was 23. The teacher had a positive response,
saying “[Being attracted to someone of same-sex] is
natural and there are a lot of people like you in the US.”
After graduating from junior college, Nana
worked as a caregiver at a center for people with
disabilities. When her colleagues asked what kind of
man she considered her type, Nana responded, “I’m
attracted to women.” Her colleagues started ignoring
her. She reported them to her employer. He told
her that the center could not allow her to look after
women clients because “we aren’t sure if you might
do something wrong to other women.” For three years,
Nana faced daily discrimination and isolation at her
job. She suffered depression. The conditions affected
her ability to continue working and she quit. She suffered
economically as a consequence.
In 2007, Nana established an LGBT organization
in her town to help herself and to help other LGBT
people who also faced violence, discrimination and
isolation.
Japan: Striving for Dignity and Respect 83
 • Shiho,55 a woman who identified her sexual
orientation as “towards other women,” was
sexually assaulted on a date with a man.
She said, “Even though he was my date, sex
wasn’t consensual. He kissed me in a car but
didn’t stop there. My body froze. I couldn’t
move.” Shiho said that she went on this date
with a man because she wanted to “cure” her
sexual orientation.
• Nana, a lesbian respondent, tried to “cure”
her sexual orientation by going on a date
with a man when she was in college. How-
ever, she said that she realized, “I couldn’t
sleep with a man [and my sexual orientation
wouldn’t be ‘cured’].” Nana told the man
she did not want to have sex with him, but
he did not listen, and he raped her.
• Masato, a female-to-male transgender man,
had thought that his gender identity would
be “changed” if he went on a date with a
man. In his attempt, a man raped him.
• Ohtsuki,56 a woman who identified as
pansexual, was forced to have sex with her
boyfriend. She said, “He not only forced me
to have sex, but was uncooperative about
contraception. There weren’t physical inju-
ries on my body, but I felt sick the next day
after he forced me.”
Sexual violence by intimate partners was, in four
cases, accompanied by severe physical violence,
including kicking, punching, being dragged
around, and having things thrown by the perpe-
trator. The combination of sexual and physical
violence resulted in intense suffering.
• Aya,57 a transgender woman and lesbian,
was once a “husband” to a woman in legal
marriage. She said: “[I experienced] so-
called forced sex. I was exposed to verbal
abuse on a daily basis. The worst thing
was when she put a knife on my chest.
55 Shiho, Shimada interview, Kyusyu/Okinawa region, Japan,
February 6, 2012.
56 Ohtsuki, Yamashita interview, Tokyo, Japan, February 17, 2012.
57 Aya, Shimada interview, Kansai region, February 3, 2012.
84 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
That’s how far it went. She also beat me
and kicked me, but being forced to have
sex was the most difficult. It lasted for 25
years. I did not doubt I was [being] forced
although at that time, because I had this
belief that [because I was born] a man, [I]
should be able to perform sexually as a man,
I thought it was wrong of me not being able
to do so. I expected myself to perform a
man’s role in sex. That was a job and role I
believed I had to fulfill as a man.”
• Tanaka,58 a transgender female-to-male
“gender queer” whose sexual orientation is
pansexual, said he experienced forced sex and
unwanted sexual touching by his male partner.
• K,59 a transgender woman who was in a same-
sex relationship, said her partner had “thrown
things” at her while she was forced into having
a threesome with the ex-partner of her partner.
Her partner would “vent her anger on objects
kicked around in a room,” which scared K.
WORKPLACE
DISCRIMINATION AND
VIOLENCE
The workplace was another sphere where trans-
gender respondents experienced emotional violence
and discrimination. In Japan, job applicants are
generally required to attach a photograph and
circle a gender column in their curriculum vitae.
When the legislation regarding gender change in
the koseki (the family registry) was passed, it made
it possible for some transgender applicants to
change their sex as it appeared on legal documents.
The legislation to legalize changed gender did not
protect transgender employees from violence or
discrimination after they were hired.60
58 Tanaka, L’Heruerx interview, Kansai region, January 29, 2012.
59 K, Yamashita interview, Kansai region, November 13, 2011.
60 Law concerning Special Cases regarding Gender of People
with Gender Identity Disorder, Law No. 111, adopted on July l6,
2003, accessed on November 6, 2012, http://law.e-gov.go.jp/
 TANAKA
Tanaka is 45 years old and resides in Osaka city,
Osaka prefecture, with three roommates in a large
shared housing complex. His highest level of education
is a university degree. He is currently a freelance writer
and receives welfare assistance from the government.
Tanaka feels that people who do not know him
perceive him as a straight man. Most people in the gay
community in which he is active perceive him as gay.
Before he began his hormone treatments, he was per-
ceived as a woman. But Tanaka identifies as a pansex-
ual “gender queer” transman.
Being pansexual and polyamorous, Tanaka has
had relationships with people of various gender iden-
tities. His first romantic relationship was when he was
17 years old with a heterosexual woman. The relation-
ship lasted three years. Since then, Tanaka has not at-
tempted a relationship with a heterosexual person and
has focused on queer people.
Coming out was complicated due to his com-
plex gender identity. His parents have been relatively
supportive although recently his mother was upset
when she found out that Tanaka was taking hormones.
Tanaka left home when he was 25.
• Mamoru,61 a transgender immigrant man
from Burma, who had lived in Japan for ten
years, worked for a travel agency and was
called “homo”62 by his boss after he submitted
a medical certificate that indicated his Gender
Identity Disorder. He showed the certificate
to his boss to tell him that he was medically
permitted to get male hormone injections. The
boss looked surprised to see the certificate and
htmldata/H15/H15HO111.html; Law on Partial Amendments to
the Law concerning Special Cases regarding Gender of People
with Gender Identity Disorder, Law No. 70, adopted on June
18, 2008, accessed on November 6, 2012, http://www.shugiin.
go.jp/itdb_housei.nsf/html/housei/16920080618070.htm.
61 Mamoru, T interview, Tokyo, Japan, February 21, 2012.
62 See Terminology.
Tanaka lived with a partner who turned out to be
a domestic violence offender. The partner physically
and emotionally attacked Tanaka. He suffered brain
injuries resulting in a current disability, which Tanaka
refers to as “a disturbance of higher cerebral function.”
He said that hospitals and clinics denied him treatment
because he is transgender.
After many incidents of abuse from his partner,
Tanaka ended the relationship and told the partner to
leave the home. The partner left but Tanaka continued
to receive threats. Tanaka has told people, including
women’s rights scholars and activists, about the do-
mestic violence he experienced, but he says that they
are not supportive of him as a survivor of violence. He
feels this is because he is not a woman in a heterosex-
ual relationship.
He wrote a book in 2006 called “Transgender
Feminism” but excluded his experiences of violence
because he was being stalked by his former partner.
Tanaka felt that more people supported his sexual
and gender identities than his identity as a domestic
violence survivor.
asked him how he had sex with his girlfriend.
He made fun of Mamoru’s gender identity
and verbally and sexually harassed him,
which constituted discrimination and sexual
harassment against him in the workplace.
Mamoru was “hurt by what the boss said ‘as
a joke.’”
• Masaki,63 a transgender man, was denied a job
interview at a convenience store after he
answered the store manager’s question about
why his curriculum vitae left out information
about his education. Masaki told the manager
that he was from a “women’s-only” high school,
which revealed his transgender identity.
63 Masaki, Ambo interview, Tohoku region, Japan, December 8, 2011.
Japan: Striving for Dignity and Respect 85
 • Anne,64 a bisexual woman who worked for
a non-governmental organization, heard a
fellow human rights activist call a gay novelist
“disgusting” while they were having lunch at
the office. That word, she said, “took an option
away from me to come out and even to tell
him about the LGBT human rights work” in
which she was involved.
LBT respondents experienced workplace discrimi-
nation that led to other types of violence – mainly
verbal violence. Transgender respondents’ gender
expression made them more visible than lesbians
and bisexual women, who tended not to disclose
their sexual orientation especially in the work-
place. Lesbians and bisexual respondents indicated
that unless they revealed their sexual orientation,
people they worked with assumed they were het-
erosexual. One lesbian respondent who revealed
her sexual orientation to her supervisor and col-
leagues, however, did experience verbal discrimi-
nation, including her supervisor over three years
repeatedly telling her that she was not suitable as a
caregiver for women with disabilities because she
“might abuse other women.”
Sexual violence in the workplace was also reported
in this research. The most common types of work-
place sexual violence experienced were unwanted
touching and coerced sex and sexualized and
verbally abusive language. This is similar to the
experiences of heterosexual women in Japan.65
There were five cases where respondents experi-
enced emotional violence or discrimination in
shukatsu, which is a unique job hunting mech-
anism for fresh graduates in Japan.66 Hiro,67 a
64 Anne, Ambo interview, Tohoku region, Japan, January 11, 2012.
65 1 289 rape cases and 7027 cases of indecency through
compulsion (where majority of the victims were women while
there were male victims) were reported in 2010, accessed on
November 9, 2012, http://shiawasenamida.org/m05_02_02.
66 “ Reality of LGBT Shukatsu – Positive Foreign-Affiliated
Companies towards Hiring, Negative Japanese Companies”,
Aera, September 28, 2012, accessed on November 8, 2012,
http://dot.asahi.com/aera/2012092800036.html.
67 Ragi interview, Kansai region, Japan, February 8, 2012.
86 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
respondent who identified as “gender neutral,”
said, “I didn’t tie my hair or wear makeup [for
job interviews]. There was no company after all
that hired me. Gender is reinforced in shukatsu.
So, I came to think that I had to find a work-
place where [gender conformity is not required
so that] I can last.”
Shukatsu is a term shortened from shusyoku
katsudo, which means job hunting. Third year
undergraduate students and first year Masters
degree students usually submit their curriculum
vitae online, take a written test, and visit compa-
nies that they want to work for to set up inter-
views. In shukatsu, most of the female students
wear black women’s suits (with skirts) and male
students wear black men’s suits (with pants).
Many universities offer make-up courses for
students in shukatsu. This semi-formal gendered
dress code constitutes a serious barrier for non
gender-conforming and non-heteronormative
students whose gender expression is different
from the rest of society. A possible reason we
only had a couple of interviewees mentioning
the shukatsu was because our respondents were
older, and therefore were not students when the
mechanism of shukatsu was introduced.
• Taka,68 a transgender man, was denied a job
on four separate occasions after he disclosed
his transgender identity during the job
interviews. One of the people interview-
ing Taka said to him, “We won’t hire you
because such people [with Gender Identity
Disorder] are troublesome.”
Our transgender female-to-male and transgender
male-to-female respondents often experienced
emotional violence because of the gap between
the sex they were assigned at birth and their
gender identity. It is difficult for anyone to have
to express a gender which does not match their
inner and deeply felt sense of being female, male
or something other.
68 Taka, Masaki interview, Tohoku region, Japan, January 30, 2012.
 she “blamed myself for not seeing it coming
IMPACT OF VIOLENCE and for letting it happen to myself.”

AND COPING METHODS Some LBT respondents changed their gender

expression to conform to the type of femininity
Our research findings showed that LBT people
and masculinity that the society expected in or-
who experienced violence that was linked to their
der to avoid discrimination and violence, which
sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender
in many cases exacerbated a sense of self-loath-
expression suffered severe mental health conse-
ing, acute discomfort, and even physical pain.
quences. Some attempted suicide or had suicidal
Some respondents lost friends and social
thoughts; some practiced self-injury; most felt
contacts, experienced isolation, dropped out of
depressed or had flashbacks; several felt sick or
school, were unable to complete their educa-
had other physical symptoms such as hyperpnea,
tion, suffered job loss and loss of employment
vaginal pain, addiction, and not being able to
opportunities, or were evicted or had difficulty
sleep. Some turned to alcohol or drug use as a
finding housing.
way of coping, and others developed addictions.
Several also experienced self blame, loss of confi-
dence, and low self-esteem.
More than half of the 50 LBT people we
• Nana,69 who was raped and lost a job be- interviewed considered committing suicide –
cause of her sexual orientation, went to the five of them actually attempted to kill themselves.
cliff to die and spent a whole night watching
over the sea. She stopped herself from com-
• One transgender female-to-male respondent
mitting suicide. She said “I couldn’t see any
did not finish high school as a consequence
hope in keeping on living. I had no one and
of violence he experienced from his junior
no job while I felt sick [from being raped.]”
high school classmates because of his gender
• Nami,70 a lesbian who was sexually abused identity and gender expression.
by her father and her classmates for being a
• Tanaka, who experienced a combination
woman, “periodically thought of committing
of physical, sexual, verbal and emotional
suicide.” Her accumulated experiences angered
violence by his transgender female-to-male
her to the extent that she overdosed, became
partner, suffered neurological injuries in-
unconscious and was brought to a hospital.
cluding memory loss and flashbacks.
• Ozawa,71 a lesbian who was raped by a man
• Hiroki,73 a transgender man, said, “[My
who she “dated” said, “I was sick for a week
colleague] kept telling me to wear women’s
after the intercourse. I told myself it [sex
uniforms [at work.] When I wore them, I got
with a man] was supposed to be good. I had
headache, nausea and rapid heartbeat. I could
flashbacks and felt very upset. The whole
barely function. In the night, I couldn’t sleep.
world looked loud and different. I felt so
Because of this, I had no option but to quit.”
consumed for a week. I kept telling myself it
was natural for a woman to experience those.” • Aya,74 a transgender woman, had medical
problems for five years when she worked as
• Nomiya,72 a transgender lesbian who was
a company worker. She said, “I would often
kissed by a man without her consent, said
get duodenal ulcers, arrhythmia and alopecia
areata” as a result of too much stress that she
69 Nana, Yamashita interview, Tohoku region, Japan, July 1, 2011. had from pretending to be a man at work.
70 Nami, Nami, Ragi interview, Kansai region, Japan, February 29, 2012.

71 Ozawa, Yamashita interview, Tohoku region, Japan, January 14, 2012. 73 Hiroki, Uchida interview, Tohoku region, Japan, January 31, 2012.

72 Nomiya, Yamashita interview, Tokyo, Japan, February 11, 2011. 74 Aya, Yamashita interview, Kansai region, Japan, January 30, 2011.

Japan: Striving for Dignity and Respect 87

Twenty-seven respondents thought about suicide
at least once in their lifetime while five of them
actually attempted it. In fact, we lost one of our in-
terviewees after all the interviews were completed.75
It has been pointed out by Dr. Mikiya Nakatsuka,
gynecologist at the gender clinic in Okayama
University, that the mental health of people
whose gender identity and gender expression
are different from the sex they were born with
is worse than those whose gender identity
corresponds to the sex assigned at birth.76 In
our sample population, 27 people considered
suicide. It was characteristic that most of the
respondents who attempted suicide said they
did not think they would “actually do it” but
the idea of suicide came to them as a result of
the violence experienced and because they felt
“hopeless about their future.”77
• Kazuko78 said that she considered suicide
because she “couldn’t see hope to live” after
a relative accused her of having a lesbian
relationship with her colleague.
• A,79 a transgender man, said, “I was in the
fifth grade in an elementary school and
didn’t really understand what life and death
actually meant when I thought of killing
myself.” He wondered, “Could [I] be dead
by jumping off from a building?”
75 See Profiles.
76 “Gender Identity Disorder: Attempted Suicide and Self
Injuries Deteriorating due to Worsening Economic
Situation”, Mainichi Shimbun, October 12, 2012, accessed
on November 8, 2012, http://mainichi.jp/feature/
news/20121012ddm012040056000c.html. According to the
1999 survey by Okayama University, 50 percent of patients
who came to their clinic suspecting Gender Identity Disorder
had attempted suicide or practiced self injuries. Suicide
attempts among those who were diagnosed with Gender
Identity Disorder decreased to 31 percent in 2007, four years
after legislation was passed on gender change in koseki.
Suicide attempts rose again in 2009 because of the economic
recession and was approximately 60 percent in 2010.
77 A, Yamashita interview, Tokyo, Japan, January 29, 2011.
78 Kazuko, Masaki interview, Tohoku region, Japan, February 25, 2012.
79 A, Yamashita interview, Tokyo, Japan, January 29, 2011.
88 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
• Kimura,80 a bisexual woman who felt hurt
each time she experienced discrimination
in her daily life, was “often attacked by the
impulse of wanting to take her own life.”
She attributed this feeling with “being a
woman and a daughter in today’s Japanese
society.” Kimura said that the exclusion of
people of different gender identities and
sexual orientations, even if unintentional,
made her feel that she “didn’t exist.”
Some of our respondents were denied access
to employment or compelled to leave their
jobs because of their gender identity or sexual
orientation.
Some are confined to working at the few places
where their gender expression is accepted.
Masato,81 a transgender man, was treated as a
male worker at his workplace for two years after
he came out. His boss told him that his coming
out would be accepted at his branch but not
at other branches of his company. He was told
to “behave as a woman” if he wanted to attend
meetings and training seminars jointly held by
other branches or companies, which deprived
him of opportunities to communicate with his
colleagues outside his branch.
When transgender people do not apply to have
their gender marker changed on official doc-
uments – in some cases for not wanting to be
defined as having a disorder – they are vulner-
able to discrimination and exclusion. Hiroto, a
transgender man said, “I tried to apply for high
school at the age of 21. The school said to me that
they could not accept me after seeing my gender
listed as woman on the health insurance card
because they didn’t have any precedent of having
a transgender student and didn’t want any trouble
to happen to me.”82
80 Kimura, Masuhara interview, Chubu region, Japan, February 11, 2012.
81 Masato, Masaki interview, Tohoku region, Japan, January 29, 2012.
82 Hiroto, Masaki interview, Tokyo, Japan, January 5, 2012.
 TAKA
Taka was 38 years old and residing in Akita city,
Akita prefecture, when we spoke to him. He commit-
ted suicide six months after we conducted our last in-
terview with him. His highest level of education was
a high school diploma and he was unemployed and
receiving welfare assistance from the government at
the time of his death.
When asked about his gender, Taka expressed that
he was a straight man while he felt that those who had
known him by his “past gender” would have identi-
fied him as a woman. At the time of his interview, he
had been admitted to a hospital where he was being
treated as a woman in a ward for females.
Recalling his childhood, he remembered not being
able to confide in others about his identity, and strug-
gling to understand “what [he] was.” He first started to
realize that what he had been experiencing was Gen-
der Identity Disorder around 27 years old, and he felt
he didn’t have enough courage then to freely express
his gender through clothing, hairstyle, etc.
When he was twenty years old, Taka’s boss who
did not know that Taka identified as a man, “playfully”
attempted to touch Taka’s breasts. Taka considered this
as sexual violence and felt that his dignity was violated
on several levels – his boss felt entitled to commit sex-
ual violence because he thought Taka was a woman,
and Taka’s gender identity was invisibilized.
When he could not find employment opportuni-
ties because of his gender identity, he felt that he was
finally able to explore his identity more and gain a bet-
ter understanding of Gender Identity Disorder and his
growing desire to meet others like him.
Taka experienced difficulty explaining his gender
to strangers, including in institutions like hospitals, and
also to the people closest to him. He felt that the label
“Gender Identity Disorder” conveyed something “bent
out of its shape and peculiar” and that women diag-
nosed with Gender Identity Disorder were perceived
as “something unpleasant to be around” and “people
who aren’t into men.”
When he was 37 and looking for employment,
Taka came out at four job interviews and was blatantly
told each time that he was being denied a job due to
his Gender Identity Disorder. Several times, he insisted
to no avail that “although [he is] a female, [he could]
work as hard as a male.”
Taka gradually lost confidence in himself after the
many job rejections. He gave in and circled “female”
under the gender column of his curriculum vitae.
Claiming to be female became more and more diffi-
cult as he was getting hormone injections to look and
sound more like male.
When Taka told his job interviewer that he had
Gender Identity Disorder, he was dismissed. People re-
jected the idea that he was a man. An uncle adamantly
told Taka to “dress more like a woman,” that Taka was
a woman, and that he would be “cured” if he got [fe-
male] hormone injections.
The challenges he faced created great psycholog-
ical distress, and at times made him wonder “why he
had to be born that way.” He grew depressed and felt
that his transgender identity was at the root of his de-
pression. He never reached out to mental health pro-
fessionals because he felt they were unreliable.
When Taka was twenty, he first began considering
suicide. At the time, he did not know about his GID and
felt that he could not go on living. He tried to improve
his situation by throwing away things he felt he didn’t
need, but it only made him feel like he had less to
live for. He attempted suicide by pouring gasoline over
himself and setting himself on fire but recovered from
the burns after three days in a coma. Even after his
miraculous recovery, Taka felt he had no reason to live.
At the end of his interview with us on January
30, 2012 for this research project, Taka shared that he
wanted to help others who were struggling with being
from a sexual minority. This gave the impression that
he was thinking of the future. However, on the early
morning of July 23, 2012, Taka once again poured gas-
oline on himself and set a fire. He died that day.
Japan: Striving for Dignity and Respect 89
 think it was acceptable to talk about sexuality
ACCESS TO REDRESS or sex. I believed that I was not supposed to
tell anyone about it,”87 and “this idea that I
AND SEEKING HELP had to do something [about the situation] by
myself was so strong that I could not think of
FOR VIOLENCE a possibility of seeking help.”88 They also said
that general lack of understanding for LBT
According to the 2011 Research on Violence
people and personal daily experiences of not
between Men and Women that the Prime
being accepted by society discouraged them
Minister’s Cabinet Office conducts every three
from seeking help. Some respondents who had
years, women who were sexually assaulted were
previously experienced insensitivity when they
reluctant to report the violence to the police or
sought help said they did not want to repeat
otherwise seek help for several reasons. Some
the experience.
felt “it was embarrassing (46.2 percent of 91
respondents who said they had not sought help
That said, a good number of respondents went
in the Research),” some “did not want to recall
to self-help groups for sexual minorities, which
the incident (22 percent)” and some said, “[I]
might be a reflection of the fact that we identi-
thought that everything would be all right if
fied our respondents through grassroots groups.
I endured [what happened] (20.9 percent).”83
Except for one respondent, all of them found
Our respondents expressed similar sentiments.
the help they received from these groups to be
appropriate and helpful. Respondents also ap-
For transgender people, access to support was
proached friends, family and partners who they
different before and after the Gender Identity
trusted about their experience. Often the fact
Disorder legislation84 was enacted.
that someone merely offered to be present and
A number of the respondents in our research did
to listen made the respondents feel heard and
not seek help when they experienced violence.
visible for once.
The reasons included: “seeking help from some-
one didn’t even come to mind,”85 “did not know • Ueki, a lesbian respondent said “Just being
such [self-help groups] existed,”86 “I didn’t able to talk about it to someone who would
listen to me and sympathize with me helped
very much.”89
83 7.7 percent of women indicated that they experienced forced
• A pansexual woman, Aoki,90 who had
sex by “some of the opposite sex” in the survey in 2011 by the
Cabinet Office. Among them, 28.4 percent sought help and attempted suicide when she was in high
67.9 percent did not seek help. 3.7 percent reported to the school, said her close friend made her prom-
police, accessed on November 9, 2012, http://shiawasenamida. ise to “give a call if she was thinking about
org/m05_02_02. committing suicide,” which stopped her
84 Law concerning Special Cases regarding Gender of People from committing suicide.
with Gender Identity Disorder, Law No. 111, adopted on July
16, 2003; Law on Partial Amendments to the Law concerning
Special Cases regarding Gender of People with Gender
Identity Disorder, Law No. 70, adopted on June 18, 2008. The
87 Nami, Ragi interview, Kansai region, Japan, February 29, 2012.
Law allows transgender people who are diagnosed as Gender
Neko (bisexual woman) L’Heruerx interview, Kansai region,
Identity Disorder by two doctors to change their legal genders
December 26, 2011, also says “Interested in sex or having
in family registry, root document for all legal documents and
sexual desire are not considered good [in Japanese society.] I
cards under five conditions including sterilization.
oppressed myself very much by the idea.”
85 Ozawa, Yamashita interview, Tohoku region, January 14, 2012
88 Mao (transgender woman), Uchida interview, Tohoku region,
and Kazuko, Masaki interview, Tohoku region, Japan, February
December 14, 2012.
25, 2012.
89 Ueki, Masuhara interview, Chubu region, February 11, 2012.
86 Amami (lesbian), Shimada interview, Kyusyu/Okinawa region,
February 5, 2012. 90 Aoki, Ozawa interview, Kanto region, July 1, 2011.

90 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
Several respondents sought help from medical
professionals including psychiatrists and psychol-
ogists. Some found their interventions appro-
priate and helpful while others did not. Our
interviews showed that there were mental health
professionals who thought that their clients’
gender identity or sexual orientation was “not
the heart of their issue” while our respondents
wanted to be heard as LBT people.
• Sachiko,91 a transgender woman said,
“[They] listened to me [at the clinic] for
my suffering and they treated me about my
physical symptoms. But nothing else was re-
ally done about the difficulties I had because
of my gender identity.” She said, “This was
before the enactment of the Gender Identity
Disorder legislation.”
• Z,92 a lesbian respondent, felt “so isolated”
being lesbian. She felt sick for being com-
pelled to wear pantyhose at work for being
a woman. When she sought counseling
from a women’s center, she said “the coun-
selor didn’t understand difficulties of sexual
minorities” because the counselor asked her
whether she wanted to become a man.
A group of respondents said they did not ask for
or receive any support or assistance to deal with
the sexual violence they experienced. The vicious
cycle of direct and indirect discrimination they
face on a daily basis, the respondents’ own fear
of revealing their sexual orientation and gender
identity, and having no one to turn to for help,
pushed LBT rape survivors to the edge. Two
respondents said they thought about committing
suicide after they suffered sexual violence.
Suicide was culturally familiar to our respon-
dents. In Japan, around 30,000 people com-
mitted suicide every year between 1988 and
2012.93 More than half of the 50 LBT people we
91 Sachiko, Masaki interview, Chugoku region, Japan, March 17, 2012.
92 Z, Yamashita interview, Tokyo, Japan, January 30, 2011.
93 “Transition of the Number of People Committed Suicide”, Jiji
Press, March 9, 2012, accessed November 10, 2012, http://www.
jiji.com/jc/v?p=ve_soc_tyosa-jikenjisatsu.
interviewed considered committing suicide – five
of them actually attempted to kill themselves.
Many thought of committing suicide when they
felt isolated, or after situations or prolonged
periods in which they felt others denied or invis-
ibilized their sexual orientation, gender identity
and gender expression.
• Ken, a transgender man who hid his gender
identity and lived as a woman because
he was in a heterosexual marriage with a
cisgender husband, and had children, said,
“I didn’t actually commit it [suicide], but
I wished that my life would end soon. I
thought that I’d be happier that way.” He
said, “I couldn’t think there was my future
[when I would live as a man].”
LAWS AFFECTING
LBT PEOPLE
There are no domestic laws that explicitly crimi-
nalize homosexuality or non-conforming gender
identities in Japan. Between 1873 and 1880
during the Meiji era, anal sex was illegal, with
consensual anal sex subject to ninety days impris-
onment and non-consensual anal sex subject to
ten years imprisonment.94 This was the only time
when sexual acts associated with male homosex-
uality were specifically criminalized. Female ho-
mosexuality has never been explicitly criminalized
throughout the country’s history.
The Japanese Constitution stipulates the sep-
aration of organized religion and state.95 It is
believed that there are no domestic laws based
on morality or religion, but in some cases, men,
women, and particularly those of diverse sexu-
alities and gender expressions, find that mo-
rality affects the application of laws that seem
94 Scanned copy of the original text, Digital Library from the Meiji
Era, accessed November 8, 2012, http://kindai.ndl.go.jp/view/
95 A rticle 20, Japanese Constitution, accessed November 8,
2012, http://www.kantei.go.jp/foreign/constitution_and_
government_of_japan/constitution_e.html.
Japan: Striving for Dignity and Respect 91
neutral. Morality is often expressed through
strict expectations as to how women must behave,
dress or express themselves, which respondents
find hard to separate from the public consensus
on morality at any given time. For example, rape
victims often face secondary victimization in
Japanese courts where judges blame victims for in-
viting the crime because they dress provocatively
or are out at night.
In 2003, the Diet (Japanese Parliament) passed a
new legislation that enabled transsexual people to
change their sex in the koseki,96 the legal docu-
ment that contains all personal status information
about an individual. Although the legislation did
allow for the legal change of one’s gender for the
first time, it imposed strict conditions on such
changes. Applicants had to be over 20 years old,
unmarried, without children below 19 years of
age, infertile, and have completed sex reassign-
ment surgery. These conditions – particularly the
legally prescribed state-enforced sterilization of
trans persons – violate the human rights to health,
privacy, non-discrimination, physical integrity,
the right to form a family and to decide indepen-
dently on the number and spacing of children.
Article 177 of the Japanese Criminal Code states
that a forced sexual act does not constitute a crim-
inal offence if there is no insertion of a penis into
a vagina or if a victim does not (physically) resist
the assault.97 For transgender women98 and for
96 L aw concerning Special Cases regarding Gender of People
with Gender Identity Disorder, Law No. 111, adopted
on July 16, 20013, accessed November 6, 2012, http://
law.e-gov.go.jp/htmldata/H15/H15HO111.html; Law on
Partial Amendments to the Law concerning Special Cases
regarding Gender of People with Gender Identity Disorder,
Law No. 70, adopted on June 18, 2008, accessed on
November 6, 2012, http://www.shugiin.go.jp/itdb_housei.
nsf/html/housei/16920080618070.htm.
97 A rticle 177, Criminal Code, Law No. 45, adopted on April 24,
1907, last amendment made on June 24, 2011, accessed on
November 8, 2012, http://law.e-gov.go.jp/htmldata/M40/
M40HO045.html#10020000000220000000000000000000000
00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000.
98 T ransgender men who haven’t gone through sex reassignment
surgery are treated as women under the law because they
have vaginas, and therefore can be covered under Article 177.
92 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
anyone who is anally raped, much non-consensual
sexual conduct cannot be regarded as a crime as
it does not meet the above criteria. Further, the
resistance criteria is based on stereotyped notions
of victim reaction to assault, which often do not
play out. The United Nations Committee on the
Elimination of Discrimination Against Women
(CEDAW) considered the impact of such stereo-
types on the treatment of a specific rape case in
the Philippines legal system in 2010. One conclu-
sion read, “[T]he Committee stresses that there
should be no assumption in law or in practice
that a woman gives her consent [to sexual rela-
tions] because she has not physically resisted the
unwanted sexual conduct, regardless of whether
the perpetrator threatened to use or used physical
violence.”99 In fact, many of the respondents of
our research who had suffered sexual assault said
they froze and were unable to react out of shame.
Such feelings of shame and powerlessness may be
exacerbated where victims already feel disempow-
ered and alienated.
Furthermore, rape is referenced within the
context of adultery in the anti-rape law, which
leaves single heterosexual women and single LBT
people outside the scope of this law. Usage of the
term “adultery,” which means marital infidelity,
hides the reality that forced sexual intercourse or
any form of unwanted sexual contact within or
outside marriage is violence.
The anti-domestic violence law100 does not ex-
plicitly provide protections for couples in same-
sex relationships. To date, we are aware of only
one district court in western Japan that issued a
protection order for a victim of same-sex domestic
violence.101 However, we talked with Hiroyuki
99 C ommunication No. 18/2008, UN Doc. CEDAW/C/46/D/18/2008,
Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women,
Views, September 1, 2010, para. 8.5.
100 L aw regarding Prevention from Spousal Violence and
Protection of the Victims, Law No. 31, 2003, last amended on
July 11, 2009 as Law No. 113, accessed on November 8, 2012,
http://www.gender.go.jp/dv/dvhou.html.
101 “ DV Legislation Applied to Same-Sex Couples for the First
Time. Local Court Recognized the Relationship as De-facto
Marriage and Ruled Protection Order”, Nikkei Newspaper,
Taniguchi, Associate Professor at Takaoka
University of Law, who explained that there
are several similar cases of domestic violence
involving same-sex partners where protection
orders were granted. Courts, however, do not
usually make domestic violence cases public
and case details are not known. Judgments in
these types of cases depend on the awareness of
judges. How accurately and thoroughly same-
sex domestic violence is recorded also varies
from one police station to another and depends
on the awareness of the police officer hearing
the complaint of the victim. All this affects how
well the voices of same-sex domestic violence
victims are heard.102
Sexual harassment is defined in the sexual harass-
ment legislation, Law 113 and Law 42, both of
which speak to places of employment.103 However,
the presumption is that this form of violence
only occurs to cisgender women and transgender
people who legally change their name.
Although there is no legislation regarding the
rights of LGBT individuals, the Japanese gov-
ernment has recently put in place several policies
that specifically refer to people of diverse gender
identity and sexual orientation. In 2008, during
the Universal Periodic Review at the United
Nations Human Rights Council, the Japanese
government declared that it would accept a
recommendation to take measures to eliminate
August 31, 2010, accessed on November 8, 2012, http://blog.
livedoor.jp/tomo_1515/archives/51779379.html.
102 H
 iroyuki Taniguchi, Associate Professor, Takaoka University of
Law, February 1, 2014.
103 L aw concerning Securing Equal Opportunities, Treatment and
Others in the Areas of Employment, Law No. 113 adopted
on July 1, 1972, Law No. 42 last amended on June 27, 2012,
accessed February 20, 2013, http://www.mhlw.go.jp/general/
seido/koyou/danjokintou/dl/kt-ej.pdf. These laws state:
“Employers shall establish necessary measures in terms of
employment management to give advice to workers and
cope with problems of workers, and take other necessary
measures so that workers they employ do not suffer any
disadvantage in their working conditions by reason of said
workers’ responses to sexual harassment in the workplace, or
in their working environments do not suffer any harm due to
said sexual harassment.”
discrimination, including on the basis of sexual
orientation and gender identity.104 The latest
Basic Plan on Gender Equality (2010) includes
“people who are put in difficult situations
because of sexual orientation or people with
Gender Identity Disorder.” The latest Outline of
Policies for Suicide Prevention Measures (2012)
says “[the government] promotes understanding
towards sexual minorities, which have a higher
rate of people with suicidal thoughts based on a
belief that there is lack of understanding, preju-
dices and other related problems.”105
Based on the Suicide Prevention Policy Outline,
the Ministry of Health and Labor funds yorisoi
hotlines,106 which are toll-free hotlines for peo-
ple in crises. Since March 2012, one hotline
was set up for sexual minorities, which received
384,000 calls (3.6%) from April 2012 to March
2013 – out of the over 8.5 million calls taken by
the yorisoi hotlines combined during that same
period. More than a half of the sexual minority
line callers are in their twenties and thirties, 6.4%
of sexual minority callers shared experiences of
sexual violence, and 67.3% said they had or have
suicidal thoughts.107 This state initiative revealed
some of the realities that LGBTI people in Japan
face for the first time on such a large scale.
In 2010, the Ministry of Education, Culture,
Sports, Science and Technology issued a mem-
orandum entitled “Educational Counseling for
104 C onclusions and Recommendations of the Report of the
Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review on Japan,
Paragraphs 2 and 3, A/HRC/8/44, May 30, 2008, accessed
November 8, 2012, http://lib.ohchr.org/HRBodies/UPR/
Documents/Session2/JP/A_HRC_8_44_Japan_E.pdf.
105 O
 utline of Policies for Suicide Prevention Measures
adopted on August 28, 2012, accessed November 8, 2012,
http://www8.cao.go.jp/jisatsutaisaku/taikou/pdf/20120828/
honbun.pdf.
106 S uicide Prevention Policy Outline, accessed on November 8,
2012, http://279338.jp/.
107 Yorisoi Hotline Report, Social Inclusion Support Center,
August 30, 2013. Younger callers, according to the hotline
report, “can be because people of sexual minorities
become aware of their gender identity and sexual
orientation at younger stage.”
Japan: Striving for Dignity and Respect 93
Pupils and Students Facing Difficulties”108 after a
news report about a transgender pupil in an ele-
mentary school.109 The school allowed a transgen-
der girl to dress in girl’s clothes and to be treated
as a girl by teachers. The memorandum instructed
stakeholders in educational institutions, including
teachers, school nurses, school counselors, and
staff to cooperate on measures to address the emo-
tions of non-gender conforming students with
adequate consideration.
Japan is a party or signatory to the follow-
ing international conventions: International
Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural
Rights (ratified), International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights (ratified), Conven-
tion on the Elimination of All Forms of Dis-
crimination Against Women (ratified except
its Optional Protocol), Convention On The
Rights of the Child (ratified), International
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms
of Racial Discrimination (ratified), Convention
Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or
Degrading Treatment Or Punishment (ratified),
and Convention On the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities (signed).
In the international sphere, the Japanese govern-
ment has consistently expressed support for the
right to non-discrimination on the basis of sexual
orientation and gender identity. The Japanese
government supported the 2008 General Assem-
bly statement that everyone had human rights
irrespective of sexual orientation or gender iden-
tity. Japan also voted for the resolution on human
rights and sexual orientation and gender identity
at the Human Rights Council in 2011. These
moves are positive steps and the government’s
interaction with intergovernmental bodies on this
issue may well have contributed to recent positive
developments in Japan. However, there is still a
long way to go for the legal protection for LBT
people to be achieved.

In 2008, the UN Human Rights Committee

made a recommendation to the Japanese govern-
ment about the application of the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights: “The State
party should consider amending its legislation,
with a view to including sexual orientation among
the prohibited grounds of discrimination, and
ensure that benefits granted to unmarried cohab-
iting opposite-sex couples are equally granted to
unmarried cohabiting same-sex couples, in line
with the Committee’s interpretation of article 26
of the Covenant.”110

108 Memorandum regarding Educational Counseling for Pupils

and Students Facing Difficulties, Ministry of Education, Culture,
Sports, Science and Technology, April 23, 2010, accessed on
November 8, 2012, http://cshnet.jp/wp-content/

109 “GID Boy accepted as “girl” in 2nd-grade elementary school in

Saitama,” Kyodo, February 12, 2010, accessed on January 13, 2014,
http://www.47news.jp/CN/201002/CN2010021201000727.html.

110 CCPR/C/JPN/CO/5 30 October 2008 para. 29.

94 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
RECOMMENDATIONS
The following are our recommendations for different stakeholders whose actions have impact on the lives of
LBT people (including those who do not use the terms lesbian, bisexual or transgender but prefer to identify
as having other sexual orientations and gender identities).

GOVERNMENT OF JAPAN

We recommend that the government of Japan:

• Mandate comprehensive training to both national and local government officials about the experiences
and needs of LBT people and other sexual and gender variant people, specifically focusing on LBT people
who are victims of violence. The training should, in particular, target the following sectors: civil counseling
service (under the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, Ministry of Justice and Cabinet Office), and the
police and officers at correction facilities and schools (under the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports,
Science and Technology). The training should include information about violence in the home and ways
to intervene when parents are the perpetrators of violence against LBT members of the family.
• Create support programs for people who are victims of violence because of their sexual orientation, gender
identity or gender expression.
• Provide nationwide suicide prevention services for LBT people as stipulated in the latest Policies for Suicide
Prevention Measures, adopted by the cabinet on August 28, 2012.
• Ensure that staff at all municipal offices are informed of the government memorandum111 restricting who
can request the residential certificates of survivors of domestic violence, child abuse and sexual violence.
• Ensure that local government officials who provide services to the general public are trained on the special
needs of LBT individuals, and are knowledgeable about the services that LBT survivors of family violence
can receive, including livelihood protection allowance.
• Provide life skills and job training for LBT survivors of violence, including dating violence, intimate partner
violence, and other family violence. The training should help LBT people become economically independent.
• Revise the Penal Code provisions on rape to allow for the criminalization of forced intercourse that is not
limited to penile-vaginal penetration in order to bring justice to all rape victims regardless of their gender,
sexual orientation or gender identity.
• Legislate comprehensive anti-discrimination protections that cover discrimination on the basis of sexual
orientation, gender identity or gender expression.

SCHOOLS

We recommend that the Ministry of Education mandate that schools:

• Teach their students that it is acceptable to be different from the majority in terms of gender identity,
sexual orientation and/or gender expression.
• Accept with sympathy the students who come out or struggle about their sexuality.

111 “Residential Certificate Obtainment Restriction Expanded to the Cases of Abuse from October”, Kyodo, September 26, 2012;
http://www.47news.jp/CN/201209/CN2012092601002610.html retrieved February 21, 2013.

Japan: Striving for Dignity and Respect 95

 • Create a safe space at the school infirmary where students can find sympathetic listeners when they need to talk
about their struggles with their sexuality or about violence they might be going through because of their gender
identity, sexual orientation and/or gender expression.
• Provide secure safe toilet and lockers for students who may be or are transgender or those who for other reasons
do not feel comfortable with the narrow gender definitions.
• Provide comprehensive training to teachers and staff on the experiences and specific needs of those people who
are the victims of violence to be able to offer appropriate and sufficient support. The training should tell their at-
tendees that home can sometimes be the most dangerous place and that parents can be perpetrators of violence.

JAPANESE MEDICAL ASSOCIATION (JMA) AND JAPANESE SOCIETY OF CERTIFIED

CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGISTS

• Provide comprehensive training to staff about the experiences and specific needs of LBT people
who are the victims of violence, including training on how to provide sensitive services that respect
their sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.

WOMEN’S ORGANIZATIONS

We recommend that women’s centers, centers for gender equality that receive public/state funding, and
publicly and privately funded shelters for women domestic violence victims/survivors:
• Provide comprehensive training to their staff about the experiences and specific needs of victims of violence,
including those who may be victims of violence because of their gender identity or sexual orientation. The
goal of this training should be to enable their staff to offer appropriate and sufficient support. The training
should include that domestic violence also can happen in same-sex relationships, that transgender men can be
victims of domestic violence by being perceived as the “wife” or “girlfriend” by their perpetrators, and that
transgender women sometimes face violence because they are perceived as women or girls and thus “inferior.”
• Secure an individual shelter room for survivors of violence who are LBT as they may require special
consideration because of their appearance.
• Respect the sexuality of those survivors of violence who are sexual minorities as their sexuality is an integral
part of their self-identity and could be related to violence they experience.

All stakeholders should work in cooperation with LBT groups in their community, as this is likely to generate a
stronger notion of societal acceptance and protection, so that those who have suffered violence because of gender
identity, sexual orientation and/or gender expression will feel less isolated and more empowered to push for change.

Finally, for those of you who are LBT or identify as people with other (i.e., non-conforming) sexual
orientations and gender identities, and who have experienced violence, we would like you to:
• Acknowledge that you have worked very hard till today in a society where people tend to forget even the exis-
tence of people who have a different sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. Many certainly
do not think of us as their family, friends, classmates, students, coworkers, clients or neighbors.
• Know that although it seems lonely, there are accepting and understanding people in Japan, and there are
services and information that can help you.
• Always remember that you deserve respect and dignity.

96 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
 New half is a Japanese-English word for trans-
APPENDIX A: gender women or “shemale” that can be used
pejoratively. However, transgender women in
GLOSSARY OF TERMS show business and sex work have reclaimed this
word and use it as a self reference.
Bi/bisexual refers to an individual who has
sexual and romantic desires for both female and
Non-heterosexual is mostly used by lesbians,
male individuals. “Bi” is a widely-used short-
bisexual women and other sexual minorities,
ened form that can be both derogatory and
who are reluctant to identify themselves as
non-derogatory in Japan.
lesbian or bisexual, to describe their sexual ori-
entation, meaning “(at least) not heterosexual.”
FtM is a term for female-to-male (FTM) trans-
gender or transsexual person who was assigned
Queer is an umbrella term for, and proudly
female at birth but identifies as male.
used by, lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgenders,
and anyone who does not fit the heteronorma-
FtX refers to a female-to-X (FTX) transgen-
tive culture.
der or transsexual person, who was assigned
female at birth, and where “X” is used because
Questioning is a term describing someone’s
the person does not identify as female or male.
ambiguous state of sexual orientation or gen-
In addition, it is used by women who do not
der/sexual identity. Sometimes the term is used
conform to the heteronormative culture and
by someone who is not confident enough or
because of that would rather not identify them-
does not have the self-awareness to know if she
selves as female.
is lesbian/bisexual because she has no experi-
ence of same-sex sexual contact.
Gender Identity Disorder is the formal diagno-
sis for gender dysphoria and can be made by two
Okama is a term used to refer to gay men or
or more physicians under the Japanese system.
sometimes transgender women in a derogatory
A person who wishes to change their gender
sense. However, some of the gay men have re-
marker on their official documents in Japan
claimed this word and use it as a self reference.
must fulfill various criteria, one of which is to be
diagnosed with Gender Identity Disorder.
Pansexual is a term for an individual who has
sexual and romantic desires for individuals of
Homo is a derogatory word usually referring to
any gender or sexual identity.
gay men in Japan that comes from “homo”sexual.
Seku mai is an umbrella term in Japanese for
Les is a derogatory word referring to lesbian in
sexual/gender minorities.
Japan, contrary to “lesbian/bian.”
Trans/transgender refers to an individual
Lesbian/bian refers to a woman who has sexual
whose gender/sexual identity does not match
and romantic desires for other women. The
the individual’s birth sex; also referred to as
shortened form “bian” is also preferred among
“trans” for short.
lesbians in Japan to casually refer to themselves
as being sexually and emotionally attracted to
women.

MtF is a term for male-to-female (MTF) trans-

gender or transsexual person who was assigned
male at birth but identifies as female.

Japan: Striving for Dignity and Respect 97

 input from the participating country teams. The
APPENDIX B: average length of the Japan interviews was two hours
for LBT respondents and one hour for stakeholders.
METHODOLOGY LBT interviewees were asked about their 1) back-
ground, 2) awareness and attitudes toward sexual
The Japan team interviewed 50 LBT individuals
orientation and gender identity, 3) coming out,
who were Japanese or Asian nationals living in Japan
4) experiences of discrimination, 5) experiences of
at the time of the interview. Interviewees were
violence because of sexual orientation and gender
contacted in person by the country coordinator112
identity (physical, emotional, sexual, by state institu-
or by one of the interviewers who already knew
tions), 6) impact of violence, and 7) experiences of
them. Outreach was also done via email through
seeking help. Interview venues were LGBT commu-
LGBT groups known to the interviewers.
nity spaces, cafes, karaoke rooms, conference rooms,
women’s centers or interviewee’s residences if they
Interviewee candidates did not have to identify
were convenient and safe for our respondents.
themselves as LBT to qualify for an interview. Those
who were not included in this research were people
Prior to an interview, the interviewer explained the
who were born biologically female and identified
theme, purpose, use of the research data, and confi-
as heterosexual woman and people who were born
dentiality protocol. IGLHRC’s protocol required all
biologically male and were not transgender. Many
interviewers to make available a list of mental health
interviewee candidates had experienced violence but
and counseling resources for LBT interviewees. A
were often unaware that it was violence and only
wellness plan was also part of the documentation
became aware of it during their interview.
protocol. The government-sponsored hotline served
as a crucial resource for both interviewers and inter-
We also interviewed fifteen stakeholders who
viewees to use as needed. After a respondent agreed
were known to the country coordinator or other
to be interviewed and signed the consent form,
interviewers on the documentation team. Details
the interviewer explained the format, procedure and
about the research project were communicated via
length of the interview. Respondents were informed
email or face to face. Only those who agreed to be
that they could take a break from an interview when-
interviewed became our stakeholder interviewees.
ever they wanted to and request for the interview
to stop at any time. They could request that their
The Japan team was made up of ten interviewers
recorded interview be deleted after the interview.
based in Tohoku, Kanto, Chubu and Kansai regions.
A Tohoku-based country coordinator identified
Interviews were conducted from November 2010 to
interviewer candidates through her contacts in
March 2012; all were conducted in Japanese except
sexual minority/LGBT groups. Selection criteria
for one stakeholder interview conducted in English.
for interviewers included an understanding of
Interviews were transcribed in Japanese. Data for
LGBT people and issues and understanding of the
this country chapter was obtained from coded and
research project focus.
un-coded original Japanese transcripts. Data analysis
was conducted by the Japan country team, which
Potential interviewers participated in a group training
received data analysis training from IGLHRC.
or one-on-one training session presented by the
country coordinator who was trained by IGLHRC.
In 2011, just as the documentation was starting, the
After the training, only candidates who showed their
Japan team experienced a devastating tsunami and
willingness to conduct interviews for this research
earthquake, forcing the project to be suspended for
project were selected for the documentation team.
nearly three months. The Japan Coordinator had
to start the project from scratch – with a new team
IGLHRC developed the documentation tools with
of interviewers who she trained, using a condensed
version of the training provided by IGLHRC to the
112 Azusa Yamashita, Co-director, Gay Japan News. core research team prior to the launch of this project.

98 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
MALAYSIA
ON THE RECORD
Violence Against Lesbians, Bisexual Women
and Transgender Persons In Malaysia

KRYSS
CONTE NTS

INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................................................105
INTERVIEWEE DEMOGRAPHICS............................................................................................................106
COUNTRY CONTEXT.................................................................................................................................107
INTERNATIONAL AND REGIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS TREATIES ...................................................... 111
MANIFESTATIONS OF VIOLENCE........................................................................................................... 112
Violence in the Name of Religion........................................................................................................... 112
Violence in Schools ................................................................................................................................... 115
Violence by Medical and Mental Health Professionals ..................................................................... 116
Violence on the Streets............................................................................................................................. 118
Cyber Bullying ............................................................................................................................................ 119
Negative Influence of Religion ............................................................................................................... 119
Violence by Family and Friends .............................................................................................................120
MOST COMMON TYPES OF VIOLENCE AGAINST LBT PEOPLE...................................................... 121
Emotional Violence ...................................................................................................................................121
Physical Violence........................................................................................................................................122
Sexual Violence ..........................................................................................................................................124
Intimate Partner Violence.........................................................................................................................125
DISCRIMINATION......................................................................................................................................126
IMPACT OF VIOLENCE AND COPING METHODS ..............................................................................................129
LEGAL SYSTEM AND LBT PEOPLE.......................................................................................................... 131
Secular Laws................................................................................................................................................131
Syariah Laws ...............................................................................................................................................132
RECOMMENDATIONS .............................................................................................................................133
APPENDIX A: GLOSSARY OF TERMS....................................................................................................134
APPENDIX B: SHARIA PENALTIES FOR SAME-SEX RELATIONS BETWEEN WOMEN
AND GENDER NON-CONFORMITY......................................................................................................135
APPENDIX C: PUBLIC MORALITY LAWS AGAINST LIWAT AND MUSAHAQAH............................138
104 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia

INTRODUCTION
The Malaysian team is part of a
regional research project involving
Japan, Pakistan, Philippines and Sri
Lanka. All country teams adopted
a standardised methodology (semi-
structured interview questionnaires)
developed by the International Gay
and Lesbian Human Rights
Commission (IGLHRC).
The documentation team comprised five
interviewers who collected data on violence
and discrimination experienced by LBT persons
between November 2010 and November 2011.
The interviewers primarily relied on the snow-
balling method, a method relying on referrals
by contacts such as community leaders and
interviewees. The community leaders either
privately contacted or used social media (Facebook)
and closed mailing lists to encourage their
members in their respective networks to participate
in the research.
The methodology was translated from English
into Malay and Chinese for use in Malaysia.
The methodology was not translated into Tamil
as we did not anticipate many interviewees
who only spoke Tamil, however, one interview
was conducted primarily in Tamil. Interviewers
simplified and shortened the methodology to
avoid repetition of questions. Interviewers used
local and colloquial terminology (pengkid, mak
nyah, ladyboy) in addition to the more common
terminology like lesbian and transgender. They
used this local terminology even for interviews
that were conducted in English, since Malaysians
tend to be bilingual.
In keeping with the focus of the regional research
project, we will refer to our interviewees as lesbians,
bisexual women, trans persons, transmen or trans-
women. For brevity, we will use the acronym
LBT persons except when referring to a particular
group of interviewees.
Although the range of interviewees for this
research cannot represent the full spectrum of
LBT persons nor all of their experiences of violence,
stigma and discrimination in Malaysia, this
research succeeds in highlighting both critical
and outstanding issues related to the human
rights of LBT people in Malaysia.
Malaysia: On the Record 105

INTERVIEWEE
DEMOGRAPHICS
A total of 50 interviews were conducted with
LBT persons and 20 interviews with stakeholders,
such as educators, lawyers, and representatives
from the women’s movement, all of whom have
articulated their support for the LGBT community
in Malaysia. However, the level and visibility of
their support varies according to the nature of
their work and pressure faced from State and
non-State actors. Five LBT interviews were later
excluded from the pool and this report because
they self-identified as gay men and were outside
the parameters of the research. Two stakeholder
interviews were also excluded because their
information was unrelated to this research.
There were difficulties locating bisexual women
for this research because they are more invisible,
partly due to discrimination that bisexual women
face within the lesbian community.1 There were
similar difficulties locating pengkid interviewees
because of limited contacts with people who
identified themselves as pengkid.
The Malaysian research findings are based on
45 semi-structured interviews with people who
identify themselves as lesbian (16), bisexual (3),
pansexual2 (1), queer (1), pengkid (3), transman
(8) and transwoman (13). Their ages range from
20 to 51 years old. Two interviewees chose not
to “label” themselves but were at the time of the
interviews in relationships with pengkids. Three
transgender persons identified themselves as
pansexual, bisexual and lesbian. Among these,
26 are Malays, 13 are Chinese, 5 are Indians and
one is Punjabi.
Most of the transwomen interviewees were from
lower income backgrounds. The lesbians, bisexual
women and transmen were mostly from middle
1 Some people in the lesbian community see bisexual women
as indecisive, not trustworthy or not to be taken seriously
because of their attraction to both women and men.
2 Pansexual refers to people who have fluid sexual orientation.
106 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
and higher income backgrounds. The snowballing
method used to identify interviewees drew LBT
people who were within the activist or social networks
of those who did outreach for the research.
Twelve of the 45 interviewees had completed
secondary education; 21 completed tertiary
education; six qualified with diplomas; 14 had
obtained Bachelor degrees, and one interviewee
had a Masters degree. One transgender person out
of the thirteen transgender people we interviewed
had a diploma; three others had bachelor degrees,
while four had dropped out of school.3
MALAYSIA
PRIMARY LOCATION OF LBT INDIVIDUALS INTERVIEWED
THAILAND
CAMBODIA
GULF OF VIETNAM
THAILAND
PHILIPPINES
SOUTH
CHINA
THAILAND SEA
Penang
BRUNEI
DARUSSALAM
Kuala Lumpur
SINGAPORE
INDONESIA
INDONESIA
Kuala Lumpur
Meru
Petaling Jaya
Shah Alam
Kelang
JAVA SEA
100 km
More than half of the interviewees reside in the
federal capital, Kuala Lumpur, and the state of
Selangor. Most of the interviewees from Selangor
are from Petaling Jaya, a satellite town of Kuala
Lumpur. Sixteen out of 45 interviewees were from
Penang in the north of the country.4 The resulting
3 There are more school dropouts among the transwomen
interviewees due to family rejection, lack of acceptance in schools,
and employment discrimination. These factors have a combined
adverse impact on transwomen, especially if they are also from
poorer families and forced to live on the fringe of society.
4 Kuala Lumpur, Selangor (Petaling Jaya) and Penang are major
cities in Malaysia with better public transportation and facilities.
geographical concentration of the interviewees
is likely due to the snowballing method used to
identify interviewees.
Almost all 45 interviewees said that they became
aware of their same-sex attraction and/or gender
identity or expression at a very young age – four
or five years old. “Same-sex attraction” was also a
determining indicator for transgender interviewees
as young children in their road to discovery of
their gender identity. Interviewees who were
not “outed” (sexual orientation or gender
identity revealed without a person’s permission
or knowledge, or inadvertently) by their friends
or family members revealed their own identities
(i.e., came out) to their parents when they were in
their twenties or older. While economic reasons,
religion and dependency on parents primarily
influenced when people chose to come out, the
culture of respecting elders and not wanting to
upset parents were equally influential factors. The
phrase “know but don’t ask” or similar sentiments
were commonly expressed during the interviews.
Nine of thirteen transwomen interviewees shared
that they started “cross-dressing” at a very young
age – six or seven years old – and had friends or
a support network to guide their gender transition.
Those without a support network of peers or
other transwomen friends transitioned later –
some in their late twenties.
Transmen interviewed for this research were
certain of their attraction towards women but
were unsure of their gender identity, due to lack
of information, not having the local vocabulary
to self-identify, and a significant absence of a
transmen’s support network in the country. They
tended to remain in lesbian circles and identified
as butch lesbians. Four of the eight transmen
started transitioning comparatively much later –
in their thirties and forties.
Social movements and human rights activism are mostly
centred in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor and Penang. In fact, most
of the rights-based Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)
in Peninsula Malaysia are situated in Petaling Jaya.
Three pengkid interviewees said they liked wearing
boyish attire from a young age and preferred
to play with their male siblings. Pengkids have
always been visible in Malaysia and are not seen as
a new phenomenon within the LBT community.
It is an identity largely adopted by a segment of
gender non-conforming women who are ethnically
Malay (and ostensibly Muslims).
COUNTRY CONTEXT
Lesbians, bisexual women, queer5 and transgender
persons (transwomen6 and transmen7), and other
gender non-conforming people and communities
currently face rising hostility, discrimination and
abuses in Malaysia. They are unprotected by a
political system, which is geared towards promoting
and imposing a specific vision of Malaysia.
While Malaysia may have inherited the British
colonial laws that prudishly criminalise consensual
anal and oral sex acts (carnal intercourse) between
adults, it is the current State’s identity politics
and the institutional strengthening of Malaysia’s
Islamization that has witnessed the increasing
importance and influence of state-administered
syariah (sharia) or Islamic law.8 Syariah laws
criminalise Muslims for lesbian sexual relations
(musahaqah), sex between men (sodomy), sex that
is considered “against the order of nature” (liwat),
and for “posing” or “impersonating” as the
opposite sex (e.g., cross-dressing). Government
representatives actively reject sexual orientation
and gender identity issues as human rights issues
in various national, sub-regional (such as, at the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations/ASEAN
Intergovernmental Human Rights Commission)
and international fora.
5 The term “queer” is used as a reference to people whose
sexual orientations are fluid and as an umbrella term that
rejects the binary and often oppositional understanding of sex
(male-female) and sexuality (homosexual-heterosexual).
6 Male-to-female transgender persons.
7 Female-to-male transgender persons.
8 Syariah laws are Islamic laws.
Malaysia: On the Record 107
Moral policing rose to greater heights in Malaysia in
the 1980s. It was the same time as when Mahathir,
as Malaysia’s fourth Prime Minister, pursued
an arguably aggressive Islamization agenda. He
systematically established Islamic mechanisms and
institutions that would grow in their influence
over all decision-making in the country – from
Ministries and Federal government agencies to the
judiciary9 and the Office of the Attorney General.
For example, in 1983, a fatwa, or a religious edict,
was introduced to ban sex reassignment surgery
(SRS) for transgender persons, also known as
transgender people. Prior to the banning, sex
reassignment surgeries were in fact carried out
in Malaysia by four surgeons, including a Malay
Muslim doctor, who performed the surgeries in
the University Hospital, a semi-government hos-
pital. Following the fatwa, the hospital-based SRS
services were shut down, despite doctors’ attempts
to convince the religious authorities to allow the
surgeries to go forward.10
Fatwas prohibit tomboys or tomboy behaviour.
A 2008 survey of 804 Malay Muslims from five
states in Malaysia (three administered by UMNO
and two by PAS), describes the kind of Islam
practiced in Malaysia today and enforced through
state institutions as self-righteous, arrogant,
supremacist, patriarchal, misogynist and puritanical.11
Prior to the colonization of Malaysia by the British,
sexual and gender diversity were widely tolerated in
the country and also in the region. Old historical texts
and manuscripts between the fifteenth to nineteenth
centuries such as the Sejarah Melayu or Malay
Annals, bear evidence that non-heteronormative
people existed and were accepted in the Malay
society. Michael G. Peletz suggests that sida-sida,
9 T he loss of an independent judiciary was sealed with the
severe split in UMNO in 1987 and the direct challenge against
Mahathir as President of UMNO at the time.
10 J eswan Kaur, “Let the Doctors Decide,” The New Straits
Times, December 12, 2005, http://kasihhoney.blogdrive.com/
archive/176.html.
11 R iaz Hassan. Inside Muslim Minds. (Carlton, Victoria:
Melbourne University Press, 2008),49–54, 286–287.
108 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
palace official or eunuchs, who lived in the inner
chambers of the palace, would wear women’s clothes
and perform tasks that were usually performed
by women at that time. Some engaged in sexual
relations with men and some with both women
and men.12 One Malay anthropologist, Shamsul
AB, provides a first-hand account of having seen
sida-sida in the royal palace as a child. He recalls
them as “typically male-bodied individuals who
assumed many of the mannerisms of females along
with female or ‘mixed’ (dual-gendered) attire, and
were believed by the population at large to share
normative female erotic orientations toward men,
or to be celibate and asexual like eunuchs….”13
He further affirms that there had been “… both
considerable tolerance for and acceptance of pondan
[transvestites]” by the Malay society in the Malaysian
Peninsula until 1980’s.14
In fact, a reflection of this history and acceptance
was evident in the late 1980s.15 In 1987, the Welfare
Department granted the Persatuan Mak Nyah16
Wilayah Persekutuan (Association of Transexuals in
Federal Territory) 50,000 Malaysian Ringgit to start
small businesses. According to Khartini Slamah,
a transgender activist, in her article Mak Nyahs in
Malaysia, the association was shut down after about
three years as a result of a religious intervention.17
Hostility towards the LGBT community intensified
in September 1998 when Mahathir dismissed Anwar
Ibrahim, his then Deputy Prime Minister, on
grounds of corruption and allegedly having sexual
12 M
 ichael G. Peletz, Gender Pluralism: Southeast Asia Since
Early Modern Times (New York, NY: Routledge, 2009).
13 Ibid.
14 M
 ichael G. Peletz, Reason and Passion: Representations
of Gender in a Malay Society, (Berkeley, Los Angeles and
London: University of California Press, 1996).
15 It is unknown if State actors were even aware of the existence of
transmen at the time. Until today, visibility of transmen is still low,
since most would prefer to remain in stealth mode and undetected.
16 A local term for male-to-female transgender person or
transwoman.
17 S lamah, Khartini, “Mak Nyah in Malaysia,” Sexuality, Gender
and Rights: Exploring Theory and Practice in South and
Southeast Asia, SAGE (2005), 105-106.
relations with two men. Following the dismissal
of Anwar Ibrahim, the People’s Voluntary Anti-
Homosexual Movement (PASRAH) was formed
by members of the United Malays National Or-
ganization (UMNO), the dominant Malay political
party of the ruling coalition since Malaysia’s
independence in 1957, to “wipe out homosexuality”18
in Malaysia. PASRAH, which no longer exists,
was chaired by Ibrahim Ali,19 a former Member of
Parliament and present member of UMNO as well
as the current President of Pertubuhan Pribumi
Perkasa Malaysia (PERKASA), a Malay supremacist
and nationalist organization that advocates for the
protection of Malay-Muslim rights. PERKASA has
recently expanded its political agenda to include an
aggressive anti-LGBT stance.
In October 2008, the National Fatwa Council
announced a fatwa (Islamic edict or opinion) against
pengkid, a term that loosely translates as tomboys
for individuals in the Malay Muslim community
who fall within the spectrum of lesbian butch and
transman (see Glossary for more details). 20 The
announcement of the fatwa against tomboys sparked
protests from people, notably non-Malay Mus-
lims. Many Malay Muslim conservatives, such as
members of the National Fatwa Council, nationalist
18 Walter Williams, “Islam and the Politics of Homophobia: The
Persecution of Homosexuals in Islamic Malaysia Compared to
Secular Chin,” Islam and Homosexuality, Volume 1, edited by
Sahib Samar, 12, California: ABC-CLIO.
19 Ibid.
20 J ulian Lee. Islamization and Activism in Malaysia, (Singapore:
ISEAS Publication), 132.
pressure groups, politicians, bloggers,21 and some
members of the public, saw these protests of
non-Muslims against the pengkid fatwa as inter-
ference in an Islamic matter. 22 Presently, fatwas have
been gazetted (officially announced to the public and
published in a journal or state controlled newspaper)
in the state of Malacca and the federal capital, Kuala
Lumpur, to prohibit tomboy or tomboy behaviour.
In November 2011, Seksualiti Merdeka,23 an
annual sexuality rights festival, was banned
by the Royal Police of Malaysia. The authorities
deemed Seksualiti Merdeka as a devianist cult, a
free sex party24 and a threat to national security.25
Subsequently, Seksualiti Merdeka and its organisers
as well as allies were investigated under Section
298A of the Penal Code26 and Section 27A(1)(C)
of the Police Act 196727 for creating disunity and
disharmony in Malaysia.28 Many prominent activists
including some pro-Islamists saw the banning
of Seksualiti Merdeka as politically motivated by
21 “Surat Terbuka Rakyat Malaysia kepada NGO Bukan Islam :
Jangan Cabar Fatwa !!!” (Open Letter by Malaysians to Non-
Muslim NGO: Do not challenge Fatwa!!!), Ustaz Moden’s
Weblog, http://ustazmoden.wordpress.com.
22 T he controversy was used to further promote ethnic and
religious divides between Malay Muslims and non-Malays in
Malaysia. Steven Daniel, “IGP to Non-Muslim NGOs: ‘Stay out
of Muslim matters,’” The Star Online, accessed on November
13, 2008, http://www.thestar.com.my.
23 S eksualiti Merdeka is an annual sexuality rights festival held
in Kuala Lumpur, and each year since 2008, the organisers
and supporters comprise a coalition of Malaysian NGOs and
individuals. Seksualiti Merdeka means “Sexuality Independence”.
24 C lara Chooi, “Marina Mahathir livid over ‘free sex’ slur on
Seksualiti Merdeka,” The Malaysian Insider, November 7, 2011,
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com.
25 J o-Ann Ding, “Seksualiti Merdeka: Threat to national security?”,
The Nut Graph, March 12, 2012, http://www.thenutgraph.com.
26 S ection 298A of the Penal Code empowers police to take
action against anyone who causes disharmony, disunity,
feeling of enmity, hatred, ill-will or prejudice or for the
maintenance of harmony or unity on the grounds of religion.
27 S ection 27A(1)(C) of the Police Act 1967 empowers police to
act against any activity that takes place on private premises but
is deemed prejudicial to the interest and security of Malaysia
or that would excite a disturbance of the peace.
28 Ibid.
Malaysia: On the Record 109
the Malay ruling elite. They pushed the discourse
of sexual orientation and gender identity into the
public sphere again, with even greater intensity
and aggression, creating another wave of fear for
the LGBT community. In response, community
leaders and Seksualiti Merdeka organisers filed a
judicial review of the police action. However, the
judge, Justice Rohana Yusof, ruled in favour of the
authorities and dismissed the judicial review.29
Relationships between two women or between
a gender-variant person and a woman are seen
as an affront to the dominant patriarchal and
heterosexist culture in Malaysia.
Following the ban of Seksualiti Merdeka, there
were more concerted efforts by the ruling coalition
and conservative groups to “curb homosexuality.”
In April 2012, Muhyiddin Yassin, current Deputy
Prime Minister and Minister of Education, called
on school counsellors to curb the spread of LGBT
groups. According to him they represent a “negative
culture, which was previously prevalent only in
Western countries. He pledged 100,000 Malaysian
ringgit to the Malaysian International Counselling
Association to improve the skills of counsellors
to tackle the emergence of LGBT groups in a
“strong and effective manner” (a euphemism for
depriving such groups of their right to freedom
of association).30 In July 2012, Najib Razak,
Malaysia’s current Prime Minister, declared
“LGBT, liberalism and pluralism as enemies of
Islam” and called on the people to defend the
government from those foreign influences.31
Following his statements, in September 2012, the
29 J ustice Rohana Yusof, in her decision, said that Section 21 of
the Police Act empowers the police to impose a ban pending
investigation and that the application was academic in nature.
See “Seksualiti Merdeka fails to get ban reviewed,” Seksualiti
Merdeka website, http://www.seksualitimerdeka.org.
30 Anna Leach, “Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister says LGBT
people need counselling,” Gay Star News, April 5, 2012,
http://www.gaystarnews.com/node/1847.
31 Hafidz Baharom, “Najib: LGBTs, liberalism, pluralism are
enemies of Islam,” The Malaysian Insider, July 19, 2012, http://
www.themalaysianinsider.com.
110 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
Teacher’s Foundation of Malaysia and Putrajaya
Consultative Council of Parents and Teachers
Associations released guidelines, endorsed by the
Ministry of Education, to help parents identify
gay and lesbian “symptoms” in their children.32
In March 2013, a play titled Asmara Songsang
(Deviant Love) was performed in Istana Budaya
(the Palace of Culture), which is a national
performing arts space, with content that reduced
LGBT individuals to predatory thugs. They were
portrayed as recruiting young people into their
“club,” funded by the opposition party to carry out
the party’s “agenda.” The play ended with all the
LGBT characters being struck by lightning. At the
close of the play, the actors rallied their audience to
reject LGBT individuals. This play was supported by
the Ministry of Information, Communications and
Culture,33 and was performed across the country at
government-funded colleges, universities, technical
institutes and teacher training centres.34 Presently,
the Malaysian Film Censorship Board prohibits any
positive portrayal of LGBT characters. All LGBT
characters must die or repent at the end of a movie
or television drama.35
The State’s ruling coalition owns and controls most
of the mainstream media, making it easy for the
government to propagate anti-homosexual and
transgender messages to the public.36 On March
31, 2013, Utusan Malaysia, a national Malay lan-
guage newspaper published an article in the family
section, titled “Together Against Deviant Culture,”
32 Susan Loo, “Guidelines to identify gay and lesbian symptoms
published,” FreeMalaysiaKini2 website, September 13, 2012,
http://www.freemalaysiakini2.com (site discontinued).
33 A lia Ali, “Oh, Inverted World,” Kakiseni, March 12, 2013, http://
blog.kakiseni.com.
34 K ate Hondal, “Anti-gay musical tours Malaysian schools and
universities,” The Guardian, March 28, 2013, http://www.
guardian.co.uk.
35 Nina Hidayat, “Bad or Ugly: Malaysian Education Ministry Supports
Gay Guidelines,” Venus Buzz,, http://www.venusbuzz.com.
36 U
 MNO owns 49.77 percent of Utusan Malaysia, a Malay daily
that propagates Malay supremacist ideas, and the daily has run
several articles to discredit Anwar Ibrahim by associating him
with the LGBT movement. ida Lim, “Umno owns 49.77pc stake
in Utusan, court told,” The Malaysian Insider, August 13, 2012,
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com.
citing the gay marriage debates in France. The
author called on Malaysians to protect the family
institution against the menace of LGBT people.37
The Malaysian government’s rigorous efforts to
curb vice have increased stereotyping of LGBT
persons as criminals. As a result, many gay
establishments such as clubs and saunas are being
shut down or targeted by the enforcement
agencies and media, thus regulating LGBT persons’
participation in the public sphere by leaving them
very limited physical spaces to socialise. Some
establishments have taken precautionary measures
to avoid the attention of public morality enforcement
agencies and imposed special restrictive measures
on LGBT patrons. Interviewees in the northern state
of Penang reported that several clubs in that state
officially prohibit entry to transwomen, and where
exceptions are made, club and sauna owners impose
behaviour restrictions. Butch lesbians reported
mandatory beverage purchases as a condition
for entry into clubs, and drinks were sold at much
higher prices to butch lesbians and pengkid.
INTERNATIONAL AND
REGIONAL HUMAN
RIGHTS TREATIES
Malaysia has ratified three international human
rights conventions – the Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against
Women (CEDAW) in 1995, the Convention on
the Rights of the Child (CRC) in 1995, and
the Convention on the Rights of Persons
with Disabilities (CRPD) in 2010. In 2010,
the government removed three of eight initial
reservations for CEDAW,38 leaving reservations
37 H
 afizahril Hamid, “Bersatu menentang budaya songsang,”
Utasan.com, March 31, 2013, http://www.utusan.com.my.
38 M
 eera Samanther, “Press Statement from the Joint Group for
Gender Equality,” WAO.org, July 6, 2012, http://www.wao.org.my.
to Article 9(2)39 and Article 16(a)40 (c)41 (f )42
(g)43 pertaining, in particular, to equality upon
entering into marriage and within marriage.
These reservations reflect Malaysia’s firm belief in
the position of men as the decision-makers and
heads of households, and the notion that women
and men have different rights with regard to their
children. Domestically, the government has yet to
pass an act for the protection and promotion of
women’s rights. While article 8(2)44 of the Federal
Constitution was amended in 2001 to include a
right to non-discrimination on the basis of gender,
many Muslim women are still denied equal rights
when seeking reparation on divorce and inheritance
issues through the syariah courts.45 Non-Muslim
women also suffer from the lack of legislation
ensuring their right to non-discrimination.
In 2006, Malaysia was elected as a member of the
United Nation Human Rights Council (UNHRC),
then re-elected for a second term in 2010 after
garnering support from 179 out of 188 countries.46
39 9 (2) States Parties shall grant women equal rights with men
with respect to the nationality of their children.
40 16 (a) The same right to enter into marriage
41 1 6 (c) The same rights and responsibilities during marriage
and at its dissolution
42 1 6 (f) The same rights and responsibilities with regard to
guardianship, wardship, trusteeship and adoption of children, or
similar institutions where these concepts exist in national legislation;
in all cases the interests of the children shall be paramount;
43 1 6 (g) The same personal rights as husband and wife, including
the right to choose a family name, a profession and an occupation
44 Except as expressly authorised by this Constitution, there shall
be no discrimination against citizens on the ground only of
religion, race, descent, place of birth or gender in any law or in the
appointment to any office or employment under a public authority
or in the administration of any law relating to the acquisition,
holding or disposition of property or the establishing or carrying on
of any trade, business, profession, vocation or employment.
45 H
 oney Tan, “Measuring Up To CEDAW: How Far Short Are
Malaysian Laws and Policies?” March 17, 2003, Women’s
Centre for Change, Penang, http://www.wccpenang.org/files/
docs/honey-measuring-up-to-cedaw.pdf.
46 M
 alaysia’s membership on the Human Rights Council is
despite its poor track record on human rights, especially
on minority and vulnerable communities, such as refugees,
Malaysia: On the Record 111
In March 2012, Malaysia and 56 other members
of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC)
walked out in protest during the UN High
Commissioner’s presentation on the status of the
human rights of LGBT people.47
Similarly, in 2009, the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations (ASEAN) established the ASEAN
Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights
(AICHR). AICHR was tasked with the respon-
sibility of drafting a human rights declaration for
ASEAN to standardise human rights in the region.48
Malaysia opposed the inclusion of sexual orientation
and gender identity in the ASEAN Human Rights
Declaration and lobbied other ASEAN members to
do the same.49
MANIFESTATIONS
OF VIOLENCE
STATE VIOLENCE
Violence in the Name of Religion
LBT people whose gender expression was more
visible, meaning they are not able to pass as
“straight” (heterosexual) or as cisgender (people
whose gender identity and gender expression
conform with the gender they were born with)
were more likely to be targeted for violence and
discrimination. Gender non-conformity is perceived
migrant workers, indigenous people and LGBTQ people.
“Malaysia re-elected to UN Human Rights Council,” The Star
Online, May 14, 2010, http://thestar.com.my.
47 E esha Pandit, “UN Human Rights Council makes slow progress
for LGBT rights,” Feministing.com, March 13, 2012, http://
feministing.com/2012/03/13/un-human-rights-council-makes-
slow-progress-lgbt-rights/
48 Y ohanna Ririhena, “First ASEAN human rights declaration
criticized,” The Jakarta Post, October 29, 2012, http://www.
thejakartapost.com/news/2012/10/29/first-asean-human-rights-
declaration-criticized.html
49 M
 alaysia, Singapore and Brunei were three countries in the
ASEAN coalition, which blocked consensus on the inclusion of
SOGI in the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration.
112 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
as an overt challenge to societal expectations.
Transwomen50 in particular tended to experience
more oppressive and discriminatory behaviours
from State actors, namely police officers and
Islamic religious officers. These State actors arbitrarily
detained transwomen, stopped transwomen at
unauthorised roadblocks, questioned them with
sexual undertones, and arrested transwomen
for violation of syariah law prohibitions against
dressing in gender-nonconforming clothing and
displaying gender-nonconforming behaviour
in public.51 The transwomen interviewees also
reported that Islamic religious officers teased,
humiliated, intimidated and threatened them.
Thirteen transwomen interviewees said that their
arrests by police officers or officers of state level
Islamic departments took place while they were
out in public – performing in clubs, hanging out
or having meals outdoors. Two transwomen who
were stopped at roadblocks by police officers in
Penang and Kuala Lumpur reported that the police
asked if they “needed company,” hinting that the
officers wanted to have sex with the transwomen.52
Another transwoman reported that two police officers
in Penang asked her and her transwomen friends
for “protection money” – about fifteen to twenty
Malaysian ringgit (USD $5-6) in exchange for not
being arrested.53
Severity of violence directly correlated with the
interviewee’s socio-economic class, actual
or perceived ethnic heritage, and religion. For
instance, Muslim transwomen from lower income
groups, especially sex workers and showgirls, faced
more severe treatment by State actors and were
more often persecuted under syariah laws than
Muslim transwomen from higher economic strata.
50 Male-to-female transgender persons.
51 T he Islamic religious authorities have no power to arrest
although they have reportedly detained many Muslim
transwomen for various syariah transgressions. It is unclear as
to why police officers are making arrests under syariah laws.
52 A nn, interview with research team member, November 2010.
Erika, interview with research team member, June 2011.
53 Jess, interview with research team member, March 2011.
 JAIME
Jaime is a 47-year-old Chinese Malaysian woman,
who says she was “born in the wrong body.” At the age
of five, she was molested by a neighbourhood boy, and
later by her art teacher. At the age of eleven, Jaime was
certain of her attraction to men, but the mix of shame
and pleasure that resulted from her childhood abuse
had made her afraid and wary of people.
Her family shunned her and denied her identity as
a girl as she was growing up. Jaime often felt that she
had brought embarrassment to the family, especially to
her parents. Her mother would say, “You would never
amount to anything much.” Jaime felt routinely pressured
to suppress her sexual and emotional expressions, and as
a result of this continuous pressure, she attempted suicide
at the age of fourteen.
Jaime looked to God for answers to the purpose
of her existence in the world. As a staunch Catholic, it
was difficult for her, even as a teen, to be repeatedly
told by the church that it was wrong to masturbate or to
discover one’s sexuality. In her early adult years, Jaime
felt she was finally ready to have intimate relationships
with men, but she continued wondering if she was a
gay man or a woman trapped in the wrong body. She
said, “When guys touched me, I liked it. I wanted to
go further. I like to be hugged, I like to be kissed, I like
affection, but this thing inside me will tell me, ‘You’re
not female’ and ‘You’re not gay.’”
Her family’s continued denial of who she was
and the church’s continued rejection of her gender
identity increased Jaime’s feelings of insecurity and
self-degradation, and she often had thoughts of suicide
although she never made any further attempts. Jaime
suppressed her desire to wear female clothes and tried
convincing herself that she did not have the desires of
a woman. When Jaime became a college lecturer, she
suppressed her gender expression so that she could be
a “good role model” to her students. She knew that
cross-dressing would expose her to ridicule, and this
further increased her anxiety.
Since Jaime grew up in the 1980’s, when there was
very limited access to information and communication
with people from the transgender community, she felt
even more isolated and depressed. It was only in 2002
at the age of 39 that Jaime finally decided to start her
physical transition and arranged for a sex reassignment
surgery in Thailand. She said, “I wanted to do my
vaginoplasty first because I wanted to continue teaching.
I thought I should do my breast augmentation later. I
wanted a slow transition. I was never a cross-dresser,
I never showed my feminine or female side except for
in my character [behaviour]. I don’t know why. I guess
I was afraid to be ostracised.” It was at the hospital
in Thailand that she first found genuine support and
acceptance from the trans community.
For four years after her operation, Jaime struggled
with how to change her sex on her national identification
card because her appearance did not correspond with
her picture on her card. As a result, she persistently had
problems with the bank, immigration authorities when
she travelled abroad, and the police. Her new physical
identity and appearance also caused great discomfort
amongst the students and her colleagues at the college
where she was teaching. Since her surgery, men, both
friends and strangers have come up to her and asked
to touch her breasts. She understands their curiosity but
she also understands that this is sexual harassment.
For Jaime, the worst form of violation was being denied
her true identity and being ostracised by society for
simply existing.
Malaysia: On the Record 113
In general, transwomen said that they avoid going
to the police or seeking legal remedy even when
they are experiencing violence for fear of being
ridiculed and further harassed by the authorities.
Professor Dr Teh Yik Koon, in her research The
Mak Nyahs: Malaysian Male to Female Transsexuals,
found that 71 per cent of 507 interviewees had been
forced to strip in front of others by state officials,
47 per cent had been humiliated in front of others,
9 per cent had been beaten up in custody by the
police, and some were even invited to have sex with
the police officers.54 Although Professor Dr Teh’s
research was conducted in 2001, violence by State
actors, namely the police and Islamic religious offi-
cers persists to this day. Violence sometimes escalates
when over-zealous officers are involved or if officers
retaliate when police reports or legal action is taken
against them for their abuse of power.
Mimi, a 35-year-old transwoman, who filed a
police complaint for sexual harassment, recounted
police officers in Penang trivializing and dismiss-
ing her case without conducting an investigation.
Five years ago … when I lodged a report
with this inspector, I said, ‘this boy …
molested me’ … I think, that policeman,
was a family friend [of the perpetrators].
They [police] tried to help them [perpe-
trators] . . . They said to me, ‘Aiyoh, you
are man. Man and man, no problem’ …
my answer was better. ‘Why do you arrest
Anwar Ibrahim?55 Just leave it like that la.
Man and man, who cares? Why you arrest
him?’ The inspector kept quiet.56
Jess, a 20-year-old transwoman, was arrested at a
food stall for wearing women’s attire and “posing as a
woman,” which is a criminal offence under Malay-
sia’s syariah (sharia/Islamic law).57 She recounted:
54 Y. K. Teh, Mak Nyahs (Male Transsexuals) in Malaysia: The
Influence of Culture and Religion on their Identity, IJT 5,3
(2001), http://www.symposion.com/ijt/ijtvo05no03_04.htm.
55 In 1998, then Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim was
dismissed and charged for corruption and sodomy.
56 Mimi, interview with research team member, March 2011.
57 Jess, interview with research team member, March 2011.
114 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
When I was arrested that night, it was
around one something, at night … they
had a raid. I just finished a show. I was
in my heavy make-up, [and] we decided
to go have something to eat, and at that
area, there were some mak nyah who were
selling their bodies. They came and ar-
rested one mak nyah … standing like 200
meters away from me, not that far from
me ... There were three of us, me and
two friends of mine, also ladyboys. They
came over and asked for our identification
cards. I was eating. ‘Give me your identi-
fication card?’ there were a lot of people
around so I didn’t want people to come
and be nosy. I gave my identification card.
‘Come, follow him, get into the van.’ …
All three of us followed them, and then
we realised that we have been arrested.
After that, they straightaway made a call,
‘Sir, we have 2 pondans here, Malay. The
other one is Indian. What shall we do
with the rest? Tomorrow we bring them to
the Religious Department’ . . . After that,
they placed me in a lock-up. They investi-
gated and everything, and [for] evidence,
[they took] my eyelashes, my bra; they
have yet to return them.58
Jess explained that her arrest caused tension with
her parents who doubted her story of being
arbitrarily arrested. Her parents, like most people
assumed that typically only sex workers are arrested
under this law, and therefore assumed that Jess
was engaging in criminal, stigmatised activity. Jess
suffered mild depression as a result of the arrest
and the conflict it caused in her family.
Ann, who is Indian (an ethnic minority community
in Malaysia) transwoman had been arrested 36 times
and sentenced to eight months in prison. She served
only two weeks because her mother bailed her out of
prison for 800 Malaysian ringgit (USD $267). Ann
said she had been abused and humiliated in prison
by the wardens. She emphasised that she does
not consume illegal drugs, is not a sex worker, and
58 Ibid.
therefore had not broken any laws. She is, however
homeless and drives a trishaw (three-wheeled pedalled
taxi) for a living, placing her at the bottom of the
social hierarchy. Since she is Indian, Ann cannot be
subjected to the “posing as woman” syariah law in
her state, so the police charged her under Section 21
of the Minor Offences Act for public indecency and
for alleged drug use. They referred to her low body
weight as “evidence” of illegal drug use. Ann’s arresting
officers had sexually harassed her. 59 She recounted:
They sentenced me to prison for eight
months. In prison they bullied me a lot.
The prison officers told me, ‘We will
put [you] in the cells with boys.’ They
abused me a lot in prison … they would
ask us to run to a Saroja Devi (Indian
female movie star) song. They would play
some old songs and make us run from a
distance to the flagpole …. make the boys
laugh at us. They would take the flag and
wrap it around us … they would twist our
hands … make us sit in the sun. … The
warden would insult us … would ask us,
‘How about if I come to your cell? There
are only two of you there. Can I do you?’
They would talk to us in a very vulgar
manner … Once I got out, the police in
court asked me, ‘Where are you going to
go once you are released, where are you
going to sleep? Do you want me to come
along to keep you company?’ … I was
asked by a police officer, the officer who
handcuffs you and brings you to court, he
was an Indian man … about 45 years old.
He asked me, ‘Should I come along?’60
Violence in Schools
All government schools in Malaysia enforce and
promote gender stereotypes and conformity. For
instance, Malay and Muslim girls are encouraged
to wear the hijab in schools; some schools even
59 Ann, interview with research team member, November 2010.
60 Ibid.
make it mandatory, using the rationale that
wearing the hijab would “protect their modesty.”
In government schools, girls are not allowed to
have very short hair and boys are not allowed
to have long hair; the definition for “short” and
“long” is arbitrarily decided by the school admin-
istration. Schools also have gender specific uni-
forms. Transgender persons we interviewed said
that they felt “very uneasy in the school uniforms
and having to behave a certain way.” They said
they could not focus on their studies.
Lam Cheong, a 51-year-old transman, recalled his
difficulties while he was a student, in relating to
his peers in school and being forced to conform
to societal gender norms. His story was not that
different from the difficulties trans students expe-
rience today. Lam Cheong recalled:
Obviously I was in a girl school. I basically
could not really relate to my classmates
because I knew that I was like very different
because they started talking about girlish
(teenage) things … I just didn’t fit in. …
I was born woman but I certainly did not
feel comfortable wearing a skirt or a dress.
Because of that, I basically did not want to
improve myself in school … in my young
mind, I always thought that if I were to
come out to work, I would have to live a life
as a woman, dress in women’s clothes to go
to work.61
In addition to dress codes, gender specific facilities
such as student accommodations (in residential
schools), often create problems for transgender per-
sons. Two educators interviewed for this research
shared their experiences of students who confided
in them regarding these problems.62 The educators
said that effeminate or transgender students often
are moved to rooms that are nearer to the wardens’
rooms so that the wardens can keep an eye on their
conduct and police them. Student accommodation
away from campus is often expensive, and finding
61 Lam Cheong, interview with research team member, June 2011.
62 H
 abiba, interview with research team member, June 2010.
Jasmine, interview with research team member, May 2011.
Malaysia: On the Record 115
lodging on a house-sharing basis can be hard for
anyone. However, it is often more challenging for
transgender persons since this hinges on the level
of acceptance by friends at the school or members
from their own (ethnic or income) backgrounds
and how they feel about sharing a house with a
transgender person.
The present policy of the Education Department
of the Federal Territory (Kuala Lumpur) categorises
homosexuality and “gender confusion” as a seri-
ous offence, with recommended penalties such as:
stern warning, whipping/caning, fine, suspension,
expulsion, or being charged in court.63 This policy is
published in a student handbook, produced and
distributed by the Education Department. It sets the
environment in schools on how LBT students are to
be treated by school authorities, teachers and students.
Fourteen interviewees recalled their experiences
in school during the 1980s and 1990s, showing
that violence towards LBT persons in educational
institutions, such as verbal humiliation, sexual
abuse, and school expulsion for non-conforming
sexual orientation or gender expression, has
remained relatively constant over the years.
Jess, a twenty-year-old transwoman, recalled boys
in her school attempting to force her to give them
oral sex in the school toilet after physical education.
When she refused, the boys threatened to beat her
up. Jess stood her ground, which scared them. The
matter reached the school counsellor and disciplin-
ary teacher, but Jess did not name the perpetrators.64
Nova, a 29-year-old Chinese lesbian, recalled
being expelled from her secondary school when
she was sixteen, after her girlfriend’s parents
“outed” her to the teachers in school. Nova’s
girlfriend’s parents were not pleased that their
daughter was dating a girl.65
63 “Malaysian NGO Alternative Report assessing the Government’s
progress in implementing CEDAW,” Women’s Aid Organization
(2012), 206, http://wao.org.my/file/file/Malaysian%20NGO%20
CEDAW%20Alternative%20Report%202012%206MB.pdf.
64 Jess, interview with research team member, March 2011.
65 Nova, interview with research team member, January 2011.
116 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
Aminah, a 30-year-old Malay transwoman,
recalled her life as a student in an all-boys board-
ing school, where sexual relations between boys
was seen as part of an initiation process. Even so,
Aminah’s seniors in school beat her up when they
discovered her attraction towards a male school-
mate. Aminah recounted:
I was beaten up by a group of seniors when
I was 13, for saying that one of the seniors
was hot … So I told him [my friend] that
like, ‘I totally like that senior’ because
I thought he’s hot, somehow word got
around, and got to that senior and he felt
offended or something, and said that they
had to do something about me. So, he
rounded up some of his seniors and con-
fronted me. And made me confess that I
had said something like that and then they
beat me up, for saying that I like a boy.66
Violence by Medical and Mental
Health Professionals
Nearly 30 interviewees for this research said they
generally avoided seeking health care unless they
had a trusted doctor. Several of our interviewees
stated that mental health professionals, doctors and
gynaecologists are ill-equipped to deal with their
specific needs, lack sensitivity, and do not have
accurate and updated information to treat LBT
persons. Two transwomen reported being stared
at and verbally insulted by nurses and attendants
during a routine health check-up at a hospital.
Gia is a post-operative transwoman who com-
pleted her sex reassignment surgery (SRS) in early
2000 in Thailand. In order to change her name
on her identification card to match her reassigned
gender, Gia was required to provide a letter from
a gynaecologist working at a government hospital
that confirmed the requisite surgeries.
66 Aminah, interview with research team member, January 2011.
 NOVA
Nova is a 28-year-old Chinese Malaysian woman,
who realised that she was attracted to women at an
early age. “Ever since I was young, I’ve asked myself
all those questions, even from a young age, 5 or 6, …
even when I watch T.V … I’ve always found myself very
attracted to the lady [in a program]. I’m never attracted
to the men.” Nova had her first real crush on a girl
when she was twelve years old.
Nova did not want to go to the private all-girls high
school that her parents had chosen because of rumours
that it was a “lesbian school.” However, she quickly felt
at home because she found other girls like her and be-
friended them. As a student, she was a high achiever.
When she was sixteen, Nova’s romantic partner of
two years, Linda, found out about Rachel, who Nova
was secretly dating at the same time. Linda told the
school authorities that Nova was a lesbian, and the
whole school learned not only of Nova’s relationship
with Rachel but also her relationship with Linda. Nova
was suspended from the boarding school sleeping
quarters where she was living at the time, and the
teacher told her, “You have a disease. I do not want
you to stay in the hostel because you will spread this
disease to other people.”
Nova did her best to persuade the school head-
mistress to allow her to stay in school. Her parents tried
to do the same. Nova was instructed by the headmis-
tress to see a psychiatrist and “if the psychiatrist gives
a report that says that you are okay, then I’ll allow you
to stay in school.” Nova did not want to leave school
so she went to a psychiatrist. When the new school
year began, Nova could not find her name on the class
list. The psychiatrist’s report had not been sent. Nova
begged to be allowed to finish school and complete her
final examination year but the headmistress refused.
“Later … I went to the University Hospital and
asked them if they [had sent] the report [to my school,
and only then did they send] the report but it was too
late already [and I remained suspended]. . . .[T]hat re-
ally shattered me completely …. Because I loved my
school so much … . That’s what I told [the head mis-
tress].... [B]ut she just said… they are trying to weed
out lesbianism because apparently [the school] has a
bad reputation.”
After Nova was expelled, the discipline teacher67
interviewed Nova’s “first ever girlfriend” with whom
she was involved when she was about thirteen years
old. “Whoever I was supposed to have [had] a rela-
tionship with, the teacher interviewed . . . So I think, I
was used as a scapegoat, to expel me, to send out a
message to all my friends who are gay or [others who]
are gay in that school. If you want to be gay, you want
to be out and proud, this is what you will get.”
“The thought of me leaving that school made me
scared more than anything. So I did not go to the psy-
chiatrist because I wanted to be healed. No. I know
that I am gay and even though the headmistress did
say that you have to go to the psychiatrist to say that
you are not gay and to make sure that you are not
gay. But I knew it was an excuse.” Nova added, “I think
[the school was] fighting very hard against [the bad
reputation] . . . They became very strict on everyone,
especially my group of friends. … I think that it was
my own mistake because I did things the way I wanted
to, I was never shy, I never [hid] who I was and maybe
that cost me, but I also feel that [the] education system
does not…have the right to tell me whether I can be in
school or not lah. I still believe that lah.
67 A discipline teacher is in charge of enforcing student discipline.
Malaysia: On the Record 117
The first doctor she met in the Kuala Lumpur
General Hospital was a Malay doctor who refused
to certify her document because he believed the
hospital and the Malaysian government do not
recognise sex reassignment surgery, that it was not
within his mandate to certify that Gia had under-
gone sex reassignment surgeries. Gia felt that the
doctor refused to help her because he might have
considered it sinful (according to his Muslim beliefs).
Gia said she was lucky to find another doctor who
was Chinese (non-Muslim), who agreed to certify
that she had undergone SRS. Gia was then able to
get her name changed on her national identification
card by the National Registration Department.
However they would only change Gia’s name and
not also the gender marker. Her gender remains
“male” on her identification card.68
PUBLIC VIOLENCE
Violence on the Streets
Twenty-six out of the 45 LBT persons we inter-
viewed had experienced verbal violence by strangers
in public places. The perpetrators tended to be
from the same ethnic backgrounds as the respon-
dents, usually using their mother tongue (primary
or first languages) to make disparaging comments,
do name-calling and cat-calling – sometimes
accompanied by lewd gestures. Many interviewees
said that the content of the verbal violence sug-
gested that the perpetrators’ needed to maintain
ownership over women that belonged to their
ethnic group. Sexually demeaning words such as
pondan, bapok, ombote, dyke, goddamn lesbian,
tomboy and pengkid were used, as well as howling
sounds like “au”69 and religious condemnation. In
some cases, the verbal insults escalated into physical
violence, including throwing fruit peels or even
bags of urine or faeces70 at the interviewees.
Verbal attacks against gender-variant women –
68 Gia, interview with research team member, February 2011.
69 “Au” is a sound made by people to imply that one is “sissy.”
70 A necdotal information from casual conversations with transwomen
sex workers from mainland Penang in December 2010.
118 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
butch lesbians, pengkid and their female partners –
included: “Do you want to be fingered?” “It is not
like you have a penis! You cannot feel anything
without a penis,” “Do you need a man?” “Are
there no other men in this world?” “You can never
satisfy her the way that I can,” “If any one of you,
if you take off your pants and you have a penis, I
will chop mine off.”
These verbal attacks are likely linked to a
perceived challenge to the perpetrators’ mas-
culinity when gender-variant people adopt
“masculine roles.” Relationships between two
women or between a gender-variant person and
a woman are seen as an affront to the dominant
patriarchal and heterosexist culture in Malaysia.
These verbal attacks also indicate anger and dis-
appointment by men towards transwomen, and
in these cases, possibly perceiving transwomen
as intentionally acting to embarrass and shame
them as men from a particular ethnicity or
religion. Some transwomen have been told by
men to “Stop pretending” or “You are a man,
but you want to be a pondan.”
In some cases, complete strangers confronted les-
bian and pengkid interviewees who were with their
partners, demanded to know if they were lovers
or the nature of their relationship, or warned the
couples that they were behaving shamefully.
Emilia, a Chinese lesbian was stopped by a
group of Indian men when she was walking
with her Indian girlfriend. The men approached
Emilia and her girlfriend, and asked the girl-
friend in Tamil if she was a lesbian. The couple
quickly walked away.71
In the 1990s, Padang Kota in Penang and
Dataran Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur were two
places where transwomen hung out, which
later turned into places for the general public
to come and lepas geram (let out their anger,
express ultra violence) towards transwomen.
Regina, a transwoman from Penang, talked
71 Emilia, interview with research team member, January 2011.
about her transwomen friends being sur-
rounded by a group of men, demanding sexual Negative Influence of Religion
services.72 Samera, a transwoman from Kuala
Lumpur, recalled her transwomen friends being The politicization of homosexuality and transgen-
beaten up, pulled into strangers’ cars, and derism and the use of religion to propagate gender
forced to have sex with unknown men in the stereotypes in Malaysia have influenced not only
perpetrators’ cars. Samera herself had stones the way LBT people view themselves but also the
thrown at her and her friends by strangers in perceptions others have about the LBT community.
passing cars.73
Twelve interviewees explained that family
members, friends and strangers used religious
Cyber Bullying arguments against them or insisted that homo-
sexuality is abnormal. Four out of these twelve
Communication and social interactions in Malaysia
interviewees are Christians.
have changed since the 1990s with the introduction
of the Internet. The Internet has brought new tools
Emilia, a lesbian, is a Buddhist, and some of her
and avenues for activism, especially on issues such
siblings converted to Christianity when they grew
as LGBT rights. On the other hand, the Internet
older. When Emilia’s family members discovered
has also become a space for violence and public
her sexual orientation, one of her Christian broth-
bullying, which can be directed anonymously.
ers frequently told her that homosexuality is a
Katrina, a lesbian in her thirties, who was part of
sin, and gave her Bibles to read. Her brother also
the campaign in support of Fatine Young,74 was
gathered his friends and together they preached to
called “pig” and told she was “fat and ugly and
Emilia about the wrongs of homosexuality.77
that’s why guys do not want to have sex with you.”
The attackers questioned her sexual orientation.
Stacy, a bisexual Malay woman in her early
She received death and rape threats by online users
twenties, discovered her bisexuality when she was
she did not know. Some of the online attackers said
about 15 years old after having a crush on a girl
they wished that God would punish Katrina and
in school. Although nothing sexual happened
that she would die a horrible death.75
between the two, her friends in school felt obli-
gated to “bring her to the right path.” When their
Mei Mei, a 27-year-old lesbian, explained that she
“interventions to save her” failed, Stacy’s friends
experienced Internet bullying when an anony-
isolated her. As Stacy recounted:
mous online chatter, to whom she revealed her
sexual orientation, made disparaging remarks:
We met in May 2000 … we were talking
“You women need guys to straighten you all up
on the phone everyday. My friends from
… if you don’t date a guy, if you don’t have sex
my school knew about it because when
with a guy, you are not a complete woman.”76
they attend events, they could see it, right.
And then they started asking, ‘What’s
going on? Are you going out with this girl?
Are you dating this girl? What’s going on?’
72 Regina, interview with research team member, June 2011.
… ‘Like, you do know that it is wrong,
73 Samera, interview with research team member, May 2011. right? It is against the religion.’And these
74 In 2010, Fatine Young, a transwoman from Malaysia facing were not just Muslim people telling me,
deportation from the United Kingdom, fought to remain in the because I have a fair bit of friends of differ-
UK with her partner. A group of lesbians, gays, bisexuals, queer ent religions and races and beliefs, and they
and transgender persons started a local campaign on Facebook all said the same thing. ‘Stacy, it is wrong.
to mobilise support for Fatine.

75 Katrina, interview with research team member, January 2011.

76 Mei Mei, interview with research team member, March 2011. 77 Emilia, interview with research team member, January 2011.

Malaysia: On the Record 119

 What the hell is wrong with you?’78
Regina, a Malay transwoman in her forties, was
publicly harassed by a group of Malay men during
an event she hosted. The men in the audience
shouted, “The prophet does not acknowledge you
as his follower.”79
Naim, a Malay transman in his early forties, said
a group of boys shouted, “Pengkids are sinful” to
him at a night market.80
The research shows several, mostly negative refer-
ences to pengkid in Malay comic books, litera-
ture, movies and newspapers. The research also
shows the existence of pengkid support networks
made up exclusively of pengkids on social net-
working sites such as MySpace and Facebook.
PRIVATE VIOLENCE
Violence by Family and Friends
The LBT people interviewed for this research told
us that they faced violence: when they disclosed
their non-conforming sexual orientation or
gender identity; or when their sexual orientation
or gender identity was accidentally discovered or
publicised without their permission.
Thirteen LBT interviewees suffered physical
violence from their family members. The physical
violence was an escalation from the emotional
violence they had experienced.
Malay transwomen reported physical violence and
verbal violence for being effeminate, including re-
peatedly being told to be more masculine by family
members and friends. Interviewees who exhibited
gender non-conformity as children often suffered
violence by family members from a very young age.
The restrictions on gender and sexual expressions,
78 Stacy, interview with research team member, April 2011.
79 Regina, interview with research team member, June 2011.
80 Naim, interview with research team member, February 2011.
120 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
largely imposed by family members and friends,
took several forms, including being discouraged and
forbidden to continue their intimate relationships,
restricted from dressing in what felt most com-
fortable, and restricted from showing affection to
their partners. Some of these restrictions were also
self-imposed, as the interviewees reported that they
did not want to “humiliate” their family members by
being themselves. Many transwomen interviewees,
who have transitioned (from male to female) said
that they dress modestly or wear unisex clothes when
they visit their parents.
My brother would also hit me because I walked
like a girl and didn’t do boy things. Even my
mother used to hit me with a broom. I couldn’t
stand the abuse from my family members and
so I ran away from home.
Three lesbians reported that their parents used verbal
pressure to force them to meet mental health pro-
fessionals or religious leaders (specifically a known
ex-gay pastor) so that they could be “corrected.”
Fatima’s mother sent her to a psychiatrist, who is
a family friend, after discovering Fatima’s sexual
orientation. “My mum did that. They sent me to the
psychiatrist. And the doctor is actually her friend …
Nothing changed. Nothing will change. I am not
crazy, so why send me there when the place is for
people with mental problems?” Fatima reported.81
Jason, a 22-year-old transman, said that when
his sister found out about his gender identity, she
found him a mental health counsellor.82
All the mental health professionals or religious
leaders who were suggested to the interviewees
by family members were friends of the family or
someone that their parents knew. This suggests
that parents and family members of the inter-
viewees place great importance on keeping their
children’s sexual orientation and gender identity a
81 Fatima, interview with research team member, April 2011.
82 Jason, interview with research team member, October 2011.
secret, and that the end goal is the “correction” of
their children’s sexual orientation and/or gender
identity. To an extent, these are actions persuaded
by the State’s official stance towards LBT persons.
The research also shows that parents and family
members of gender non-conforming persons are
sometimes also targeted and socially pressured to
conform, particularly when the non-conforming
gender expression is very visible. The parents are
made to feel like bad parents for not nurturing
their children into becoming “model citizens,”
i.e., gender conforming, heterosexual, married
and religious. Parents are pressured by extended
family members, friends, and neighbours to
change their transgender children. Shirley, a trans-
woman shared her family’s story:
My father is like quite famous in that
area, kampong [village], so a lot of people,
kampong [village] people also talked about
me, like, ‘Why are you so soft?’… so a lot
of people give more pressure to my parents
when they hear all these [questions], like,
‘Why is your son very soft?’83
MOST COMMON TYPES
OF VIOLENCE AGAINST
LBT PEOPLE
Emotional Violence
Almost all 45 interviewees reported that they had
experienced multiple incidents of emotional violence
in their lifetimes, primarily from family members
and people in their immediate circle. This violence
included: being told to revert to their assigned
gender or to behave in accordance with socially
and culturally prescribed gender-conforming roles
and expression; name-calling; being subjected to
personally demeaning comments; people around
them exhibiting discomfort because of their sexual
orientation, gender identity and/or gender expres-
83 Shirley, interview with research team member, January 2011.
sion; being forced to meet with a religious authority
or a mental health professional; being stared at;84
subjected to silent treatment or isolation; deprived of
financial support; and being told that homosexuality
is abnormal or a sin according to the religion.
Interviewees reported that immediate and ex-
tended family members would express and verbal-
ise their discomfort with the way they dress, walk
and behave with comments such as, “Dress like a
normal person, have short hair, dress like male,”
“Why are you dressed like a woman? Why do you
waste your money on these illogical things [made
for women]?” “Why are you like this? Don’t you
know you are a boy?” “Our family, we don’t do
this kind of things so please stop all your non-
sense and then just start seeing guys.”
One lesbian interviewee mentioned that her
mother monitored her activities by recording her
telephone conversations and following her when
she left home.
Eight interviewees reported that comments or
interrogations about their sexual orientation or
gender identity were sometimes followed by ques-
tions regarding marriage, asked in public settings
such as family gatherings. Bear, a lesbian, said her
immediate family and relatives constantly pres-
sured her to marry a man:
I know I am with a woman, my fam-
ily members know that I am dating a
woman. Sometimes my sister would ask
me, ‘How long are you going to be like
this? It is not like you are not pretty. A lot
of men want you. When are you going to
get married? You are already 22 years old.
Don’t be like this,’ they would say. ‘Why
don’t you want to find a guy?’85
Like most cultures, procreation and heterosexual
marriage is valued in Malaysia.86 Being lesbian or
84 T en out the 45 interviewees, all of them gender non-
conforming, reported being stared at in public spaces.
85 Bear, interview with research team member, April 2011.
86 Christina Tan, “Women are delaying marriage and having fewer
Malaysia: On the Record 121
transgender is sometimes treated as bad luck for
other members of the family. Ann, a transwoman,
reported that her family members are afraid that
her gender identity will ruin her siblings’ chances
of marriage. The bad luck of having a transgender
child was attributed to some wrongdoing by the
mother, father or both parents.87
Hostility by family members discouraged the
interviewees from coming out to their families,
especially to selected family members. Two lesbi-
ans, who have come out to most of their family
members, have yet to tell their fathers about their
sexual orientation because of their fathers’ percep-
tion and attitudes towards LGBT persons.
Two other lesbian interviewees explained that
their inability to come out to selected family
members, or keeping a single-family member in
the dark about their sexual orientation, created
dilemmas and anxiety for them. Both interviewees
felt that the negative comments made by their
family members about LGBT persons in general
were in reality directed at them. One of them is
Emilia, who said:
… we [my father and I] had discussion
about gay people, especially during the
American Idols, Adam Lambert winning
the title and all. [My father] actually said
… that, ‘every parent hopes for their chil-
dren to be normal. If one of the children is
gay, lesbian they need to be treated as a dis-
abled person.…’ When I heard that, I did
try to tell him a little bit of, no, you should
not treat it as a disabled child; he’s not
disabled, he can work, he can be brilliant
and all but, just that they choose to love
differently but he should not be treated as a
disabled person. … So from then onwards,
I thought that I better not let him know
that I am one, his disabled child.”88
children,” The Star Online, July 12, 2010, http://www.thestar.com.my.
87 Ann, interview with research team member, November 2010.
88 Emilia, interview with research team member, January 2011.
122 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
Physical Violence
Nine interviewees told us that they suffered physical
violence, such as being beaten up and confined or
imprisoned by their family members. Seven of them
were transgender persons – six transwomen and a
transman. The violence was triggered by one or
several of a set of factors: seeing the interviewees
in female attire; discovery of personal belongings
such as erotic videos in their personal spaces;
expressed dislike of the interviewees’ reassigned
gender; upon discovering the interviewees’ sexual
orientation; catching them in the act (having
sexual relations) at “cruising” areas; or discover-
ing that the interviewees are sex workers. Vio-
lence, including expression of discomfort and
desire to “correct” the interviewees, was most
often perpetrated by the dominant male figure in
the family. In some of the cases, the perpetrators
belonged to the State’s uniformed units.
Florence, a 35-year-old Malay transwoman, in-
formed us that her brother, an army commander,
physically violated her when she was a teenager
transitioning as a transwoman, both in public and
private spaces. As Florence explained:
My brother used to hit me in the begin-
ning. My brother took my dad’s hand-
cuffs. He hit me and then he handcuffed
me. Shaved my head and handcuffed
me to an electric pole in Padang Kota
(a famous place in Penang where the
transwomen and sex workers used to hang
out). He kicked my friends.89
Ann, an Indian transwoman who is twenty years old,
shared that her family members, especially her father,
had physically violated her since she was an infant
because, even as a baby, she looked like a girl. He also
instructed other members of her family to treat her
poorly. As a child, Ann exhibited feminine tenden-
cies and took comfort in undertaking stereotypical
women roles, which did not please the men in her
family. Ann recounted her horrific experiences:
89 Florence, interview with research team member, February 2011.
 [I was abused] daily. I injured my head in
several places. He [my father] would hit
me, burn me, and injure my head. When
he hits me, he would not hit me using
his hands; he would use wires, metal rods
to hit me. He has even broken my arms.
I was staying with him until I was seven
years old. I can tell you that I suffered a
lot. When I was born, he would tell [my
family] not to feed me milk. He used to
abuse me in so many ways … [My uncle]
was no different too. He didn’t like the
way I walked, my style, he said, ‘Your face
is like a girl’s face,’ ‘Why do you dress that
way?’ ‘Why do you walk like that?’ Using
that as reasons, he would hit me and then
spread chili paste all over the bruises. He
would spread chili paste on open wounds.
I couldn’t stand his abusive behaviour so
… I left his house to live with my mother.
However, my brother didn’t like me living
with my mother at all. They didn’t like
the way I walked, talked, etc. I lived with
my mother until I was fifteen years old.
They used to start rumours about me, and
my brother would also hit me because
I walked like a girl and didn’t do boy
things. Even my mother used to hit me
with a broom. I couldn’t stand the abuse
from my family members and so I ran
away from home.90
In some instances, guilt, shame and anxiety expe-
rienced by family members or others in the inter-
viewees’ lives resulted in physical and other forms
of violence towards the interviewees. Transwomen
who were sex workers were even more vulnerable
to violence due to the negative perceptions of
sex workers and the taboo surrounding sex work.
Florence, a transwoman, faced violence by her
brother upon discovering her gender identity
and occupation as a sex worker, even though her
brother himself engaged transwomen sex workers.
According to Florence:
He loves going to the pondan. I know. So
90 Ann, interview with research team member, November 2010.
if he can help it, he doesn’t want his sibling
to be a sex worker. I was in Malacca [a
southern state in Malaysia] doing sex work;
I knew he was there … All my friends knew
him. I showed them his photo [and asked]
‘Do you know this man, nyah?’ [and they
asked me], ‘Who is this, nyah?; ‘Nyah, it
is my brother.’ [And they told me], ‘You
wait. At two am he will come by to use
pondan. He will go to that pondan’s house.’
I watched. It was so surreal. Since then, I
stopped holding back. [I told my brother],
‘When I was younger you didn’t want me
to be a pondan but you yourself like to have
sex with pondan. You are a scumbag.’ Since
then, he doesn’t dare to do anything to me.
Doesn’t even dare to touch me. … After
that he said, he admitted it himself, ‘If I can
help it, I don’t want my own sibling to do
that sort of job. If you want to be a woman,
be a woman but find a decent job.’91
Florence has tried to get out of sex work. She has
looked for work at several places, but they have all
rejected her because of her gender identity.
Ima, a 30-year-old transwoman from Penang, told
us that her father beat her up and imprisoned her
in the house because he did not like her interacting
with neighbours and friends. She said:
My dad has hit me before. I can’t accept
him, like I said earlier, I won’t be able to
accept him even in the afterlife, and he
is my biological father. I cannot accept
him for what he has done to me. When
someone makes a mistake… he doesn’t in-
vestigate, he just hits… I ran away to my
mother’s place…. but my dad imprisoned
me. Like, he didn’t allow me to interact
with other people, like he would make me
stay at home. I felt disappointed. Why do
you have to imprison me in the house?
Because I am effeminate like this? But
why can’t I interact with people? Others
can interact with each other. That’s how
91 Florence, interview with research team member, February 2011.
Malaysia: On the Record 123
 I felt.… I don’t even have the time to you please go down on me?’ Yeah, he
interact with my own siblings.92 asked me to give him a blowjob, and I
said, ‘No, I’m not interested, please don’t
Other than physical violence from family mem- ask me to do this and you know, please
bers, three transwomen reported physical violence take me back to my place or just, you
from schoolmates, employers and strangers. Ann, know, I’ll pay you whatever you need, just
a twenty-year-old Indian transwoman, noted that stop me off.’ He said, ‘No, I don’t need
when she was younger, her employers had beaten your money; I need you to give me a blow
her up, slapped her, and thrown hot water at her job,’ that’s what he said insistently. And
because of her gender expression. Ann comes he took my hand and he put my hand
from a very low-income household and started on his crotch and asked me to stroke his
working when she was seven years old.93 penis, and obviously he was driving and
he forced me to put my hands back on his
penis. So, he had one hand on the steering
wheel and the other hand on my hand
Sexual Violence pushing on his penis, all this while he was
driving. And I resisted, and he stopped
Thirteen transgender interviewees had been
for a while but then he pulled over at one
sexually abused by both known and unknown
point at a really dark place, and he asked
perpetrators, such as family members, intimate
me to go down on him again, and I said no.
partners, strangers, friends, acquaintances, and
The doors were all locked, so I couldn’t go
State actors (i.e., police officers). The sexual
out, it was really dark, it was about twelve
violence they experienced included: lewd gestures;
or one [am] that time … I cried, I pleaded,
touching of the interviewee’s breasts/chest; being
I begged of him, please take me back home,
forced to stroke the perpetrator’s genitals; and being
it’s late at night, I don’t do this, please don’t
forced to re-enact sexual activities to the perpetrator.
force me into doing this, and I don’t, because
The transwomen interviewees reported sexual
I just don’t do this, period. … The thing that
objectification, as they were presumed to be sex
hurt me the most was that he said, ‘you are
workers or to enjoy providing sexual favours to
the first transgender I encountered that is
any man who wanted sex.
like you. All the other mak nyahs that I have
encountered would just go down on me.’
Several transwomen interviewees noted that they
And then he said, ‘Oh, I thought all of you
had been held hostage for sexual favours, a common
like this. And I assumed by all of you he
occurrence in Malaysia. Aminah, a 30-year-old
meant transgender people enjoy giving blow
transwoman who works as an executive in Kuala
jobs to men. I said, No, I don’t enjoy giving
Lumpur, was pressured by a taxi driver to give
blow jobs to strangers, yeah, that’s what I told
him oral sex in his taxi. She recounted:
him. And then when I started crying, I think
I started to panic and he said, ‘Okay, okay, I’ll
I was coming back from work, a little bit
send you home.’94
after midnight, from Bukit Bintang. So
I hailed a taxi … I said, ‘Please take me
Even friends and acquaintances are sexually
back to my place.’ … He turned around
abusive. Shirley, a 34-year-old transwoman, was
and looked at me and said, ‘Oh, uh, can
“jokingly” asked by an acquaintance to provide
you sit in front please?’ And I naively said
blowjobs to unknown men publicly. The incident
yes, for some reason … he said, ‘Could
had occurred twice, and the same acquaintance
once grabbed her buttocks in a public place. Shirley

92 Ima, interview with research team member, February 2011.

93 Ann, interview with research team member, November 2010. 94 Aminah, interview with research team member, January 2011.

124 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
explained that she was shocked and that she did
not know how to react in those situations, as she
had never been subjected to such harassment prior
to that incident. As a result, she is cautious and
worried to come out as a transwoman, as she antic-
ipates similar incidents occurring in the future.95
The prevalence of sexual violence towards trans-
women, especially transwomen who are also sex
workers, has normalised sexual violence for some.
Normalizing violence makes sense given the
criminalization, stigmatization and lack of protec-
tion of the human rights of transwomen (and
lesbians, bisexuals and queer women), all of which
reduced their self-worth, and left them feeling
helpless in violent situations.
Mas, a transwoman sex worker from Perak in
her thirties, described being raped as the “worst
experience in life.” She said that her transwomen
friends just laughed it off. She felt their reactions
were probably because they were used to such
violence. Mas shared that after the rape, she
bled and she cried because she could not bear
the pain. She internalised the violence for many
years, even justifying the rape by telling herself
that it was just her bad luck and she had to
accept what happened because “that is what you
get for being a girl when god made you a boy.”96
Sexual violence directed at LBT people often comes
from a morbid curiosity with their sex lives, and
the notion that sex between two women is erotic.
Yuli, a 27-year-old lesbian was caught making out
with her then-lover by a security guard. He threat-
ened to report them to the authorities and asked
them if their parents were aware of their relationship.
Yuli begged him to let them go. He told them he
would allow them to go on condition that they kiss
in front of him. They did as they were told and the
security guard watched.97
A transman, Fred, who is in his twenties, and a
95 Shirley, interview with research team member, January 2011.
96 Mas, interview with research team member, March 2011.
97 Yuli, interview with research team member, April 2011.
pengkid, reported that men and women molested
them and touched them “in the chest area”
to satisfy their “curiosity” about gender. Fred
confronted those who touched him, and they
admitted that their intentions of doing it were to
confirm Fred’s gender.98
Some perpetrators use sexual violence as a corrective
tool to “change back” the sexual orientation and
gender identity of LBT people. Bear, a 27-year-old
lesbian and former pengkid was threatened with
rape over the telephone by some of her male
acquaintances when she was in university.99
Intimate Partner Violence
Like heterosexual relationships, the relationships of
LBT persons are not devoid of intimate partner
violence. Malaysia’s Domestic Violence Act,
which was enacted in 1994 and amended in
2011, does not cover same sex partner violence
and violence in unmarried partnerships. The
Domestic Violence Act is limited to those in a
familial relationship and those who marry the
opposite sex.100
Seven interviewees disclosed that they had expe-
rienced intimate partner violence, suffering from
physical and emotional violence caused mostly by
their partners’ jealousy, partners’ insecurities about
their sexual orientation and/or gender identity,
and transference of violence by partners following
stigma and discrimination that partners had faced.
Katrina, a lesbian in her early thirties, was
physically and emotionally abused by her former
partner of more than five years. Katrina was
forced to hide her sexual orientation, restricted
from socializing with other people, restricted from
dressing the way she liked, and was monitored
98 Fred, interview with research team member, April 2011.
99 Bear, interview with research team member, April 2011.
100 “ Malaysian NGO Alternative Report assessing the
Government’s progress in implementing CEDAW,” Women’s
Aid Organization (2012), 206, http://wao.org.my/file/
file/Malaysian%20NGO%20CEDAW%20Alternative%20
Report%202012%206MB.pdf.
Malaysia: On the Record 125
and financially controlled. This abuse was partly
a projection of the violence and mistreatment
that her partner had experienced by her own
family members. Katrina’s partner’s parents were
in denial about their daughter’s sexual orienta-
tion. They frequently pressured Katrina’s partner
to marry. Katrina’s partner’s mother even told
her daughter that she would be happy to give a
dowry to any guy who would marry her. Katrina
believed that the pressure from family members,
especially the mother, might have made her
partner violent. The abuse made Katrina depressed,
a condition that continued three years after the
relationship ended. She expressed fear that she
might treat any future partners the same way
that her ex-girlfriend had treated her.101
Generally, LBT persons fear reporting abuse,
since they do not want their identity exposed
and want to avoid further ridicule or harassment
by the authorities. No laws are in place that
explicitly protect them and their human rights.
Wilma is a lesbian who was in an on-and-off
abusive relationship for ten years. She knew that
her girlfriend was abusive in another relationship
but Wilma thought her partner would be different
in the relationship with her. However, things did
not change. Wilma recalled friends intervening
but she did not want to leave the relationship.
After a period of time, she said she could not
feel the beatings anymore. She went into a self-
deprecating mode, where she blamed herself for
the beatings. She finally decided to leave the
relationship.102 Wilma recalled:
I thought about it [lodging a police
report] but I never went through [with]
it, because of the complication that
would arise. And if the police start to
ask questions, I was just wasn’t ready to
answer, ‘Why is this girl beating you up?’
[laughs] ‘Because she’s my .…” So, no,
I didn’t. … You’d risk having to come
out in the papers, this is a sensational
101 Katrina, interview with researcher, January 2011.
102 Wilma, interview with researcher, April 2011.
126 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
story here, I mean two women, one gets
beaten and within half an inch of her
life, and suddenly the media gets a hold
of it, then you’ll get really heady headlines
‘lesbian goes to court’ or something
[laughs]. You just don’t want that.103
Keith, a transman in his twenties, recollected his
partner’s violence, which resulted in weight loss,
drug and alcohol use to cope with the violence.
He also recalled lying about the bruises to his
friends and preventing them from intervening.
Although he has left the relationship, Keith
said that he gets nightmares about his violent
girlfriend and the abuse he experienced. In the
nightmares, he always dies. Lodging a police
report did not even cross Keith’s mind.104
DISCRIMINATION
LBT persons we interviewed experienced
discrimination as part of the violence to which
they were subjected. Discrimination often
prevented transwomen who did sex work
from seeking other employment when the sex
work subjected them to violence on the street.
Without a secondary education105 and faced
constantly with job discrimination, many trans-
women turn to sex work in order to survive.106
As a result, they later become trapped in the
vicious cycle of oppression and poverty.
Fear of discrimination was a key reason for
maintaining secrecy about gender identity and/
or sexual orientation – to “go stealth” and use
“invisibility” as a way to keep jobs and/or earn
decent incomes in mainstream jobs.
103 Ibid.
104 Keith, interview with researcher, February 2011.
105 The Malaysian education system is comprised of two state-
funded levels: primary level with 6 standards (age 7 to 12 years
old) and secondary level with 5 forms (age 13 to 17).
106 B ased on anecdotal information from staff at the PT
Foundation, it is known that lesbians have also resorted
to sex work. These lesbians come from poorer classes of
society.
 IMA
Ima, a 32-year-old Malay and Muslim Mak Nyah
(transwoman) went to school until the age of fifteen,
when she decided to stop studying and run away from
home. She is the second youngest child of ten siblings.
Ima left home because there was a lot of pressure from
her family to change, to be more of a “man.” In fact,
Ima ran away several times, but every time she ran
away, she would be found. Her father, a retired police
officer, tied or handcuffed her after she was forcefully
brought back home. Once, she was even locked in a
room for several hours. Ima finally left home for good
at the age of seventeen.
When Ima was in her teens, her older brother, a
commander in the army, beat her and stripped her
when he found her wearing women’s clothes. Ima
blames herself for what her brother did because she
feels that she embarrassed him by being the way she is.
Ima’s identification card retains her male name
and male photograph, which makes it difficult for her
to find formal employment. Presently, Ima makes her
living as a sex worker. Ima resorted to sex work because
she was denied factory jobs after every interview. She
explained, “No matter how hard I try, it is as if society
cannot accept people like me. So I gave up. I live as
a Mak Nyah, like other Mak Nyahs, go out at night, I’m
free, it’s easy, it’s easy money, so I began to live like this.”
Ima has been threatened by gangsters, and forced
to pay “protection money” on a daily basis even when
there are no clients. A man who hung out at the brothel
where she worked raped her when she was under the
influence of drugs. So far she has not been hit by offi-
cers of the Islamic Department or the police. But they
harass her frequently because she is Mak Nyah.
Ima recounted, “There was a drug raid. I was not
the only one at the house, but [there were] seven others.
The police came to the house. With us, Mak Nyah, they
would be rude, even though we talk politely with them.
Like they don’t respect us. I had just gone to sleep at the
time. I was working at a disco. I had another housemate
who really used drugs. My body was clean. I hadn’t taken
any drugs. It was about 2 AM. The police were banging at
the door, asking us to open the door. I opened the door,
and he kept shouting rudely to unlock the front gate. I
told him I was looking for the keys…but when I finally
found the keys, they barged in, without taking off their
shoes, so I lost my patience and told them off because
it was disrespectful of them as Malay officers to enter
a Malay person’s house with their shoes on. My urine
sample was clear [of drugs] so the police officers could
not arrest me. [One officer] tried to break my identity
card into two. There’s a line there where he tried to break
it. He was really rude. He said things to embarrass me,
to put me down”.
There were also many raids by the officers of
the Islamic Department. “They use Volunteers of
Malaysian People (RELA) officers. The RELA officers
don’t have any authority cards but they would break
into our houses. They won’t show any warrants.”
During one raid, Ima ran into her friend’s house.
A RELA officer chased her there. “He didn’t have a
warrant. He broke into the house to arrest me. Four
others in the house were also arrested. They were
all on motorcycles. They were not in uniform and
they didn’t identify themselves. [One officer] used
very rude language. After being arrested, we were
all brought to the religious department of Perak. We
were asked to take off our blouses so that they could
see our breasts but that was not enough for them.
They wanted to touch them. My personal details and
clothes were taken. I was charged under the “man
posing as woman” section of the syariah law and
had to appear in court. But I didn’t admit guilt. This
happened four times then [the hearing] got post-
poned, and finally my case was dismissed.
On a separate occasion, the same RELA officer arrested
me and brought me to the religious department. He cut
my skirt with a pair of scissors, exposing my underwear
and then told me to go home. He cut my hair and then
forced me to look for men’s clothes [provided by the
religious department]. He cut my skirt because he was
frustrated. There were no pants for my size.” [laughs].
Malaysia: On the Record 127
Transwomen and pengkid interviewees in Penang
reported experiencing employment-based dis-
crimination. Some employers openly expressed
that they did not hire lesbians because they are
“trouble.” Other employers explicitly stated that
they only wanted to hire gender-conforming
people, including women who looked feminine.107
Potential employers refused three transwomen
employment opportunities even after the trans-
women agreed to conform by dressing like men
and cutting their hair.108
Since the 1983 fatwa forbidding sex reassignment
surgery for Malay Muslims, applications from
Malay and Muslim transgender persons to change
their assigned gender on their national identity
cards have been rejected.109 In Malaysia, it is chal-
lenging for transgender persons to change details
to match their reassigned gender110 on official
documents. There is no legal procedure for chang-
ing the gender on the identification cards of pre
or non-operative transgender persons in Malay-
sia.111 All applications for changes on the national
identity card must go through the courts, giving
107 Ahmad, interview with research team member, November 2010.
108 J ess, interview with research team member, March 2011. Mas,
interview with research team member, March 2011. Shirley,
interview with research team member, January 2011.
109 In March 2011, Aleesha Farhana, a post-operative transwoman
from Pahang, filed an application to change her name and
gender in her identification card in response to difficulties
she faced in her life. The judge Datuk Mohd Yazid Mustafa
disallowed Aleesha’s application, as he feared that the
name change would create an adverse social impact. See
Farik Zolkepli, “Man seeks to change woman’s name,” The
Star Online, May 26, 2011, http://www.thestar.com.my/
Story?file=%2f2011%2f5%2f26%2fnation%2f8756927&sec
=nation.
110 W
 hile generally the terms “male” and “female” are meant to
denote the biological sex of the person concerned, these terms in
themselves tend to take on the engendered expectations of society,
the extended gendered socialised meanings of a biological male or
female. Hence, we have decided to use the term “assigned gender”
rather than “biological sex” or “sex” in this context.
111 A legal precedent was set by Justice James Foong when he presided
over a case pertaining to a post-operative transgender person. See
Honey Tan, Jeffrey Jessie: Recognising Transexuals, The Malaysian
Bar, http://www.malaysianbar.org.my/gender_issues/jeffrey_jessie_
recognising_transexuals_by_honey_tan_lay_ean.html.
128 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
judges and administrative officers autonomy over
transgender persons’ identity. However, the National
Registration Department Guidelines No. 9 of
2007, which lists acceptable and non-acceptable
reasons for name change, indicates that “name
representing the wrong sex” is an acceptable
reason for a legal name change. According to the
Guidelines of 2007, the National Registration
Department must change an applicant’s details
on the national identity card if he/she is able to
provide: a court declaration regarding her/his
sex; a government doctor’s confirmation that SRS
was completed; a verification from the hospital
where the sex change was done; and a copy of the
birth certificate. In reality, transgender persons are
discriminated against, particularly if they do not
hire a lawyer to file the legal application and argue
the case. Malay Muslim transgender applicants
face an added layer of discrimination because of
religious prohibitions.112
Discrimination is not only directed at LBT persons
but also at allies. A number of stakeholders who
are allies of LBT persons told us that they lost job
promotions, program funding or donations, and
had been denigrated, confronted, questioned and
verbally attacked by religious fundamentalists for
supporting LGBT persons. One ally, Teh Yee Cheu,
a state assemblyperson in Penang, who raised issues
faced by transwomen such as welfare, discrimina-
tion and violence in the Penang state assembly, was
verbally attacked by other members of the state
assembly. He was called “ketua pondan” (leader of
pondans), where pondan is a pejorative Malay tem
for gay men and transwomen.113
112 T he National Registration Department turns down applications
by transgender persons to change their details such as name
and gender to match their reassigned gender, generally across
ethnicities but especially applications by Malay Muslims. This
poses many challenges for transgender persons in their daily
lives. So long as a person’s identification card says “male,”
that person is treated as a man and is likely to be subjected to
ridicule or abuse if her gender expression does not match the
identification card.
113 In July 2013, Teh appointed Hezreen Shaik Daud, a transwoman
as his political secretary and to oversee the welfare of the
transgender community in Penang. He also lobbied the Penang
State Assembly to set up a special committee to study the issues
faced by the transgender community in Penang. See Josephine
 had to carry throughout their lives. Ann believes
IMPACT OF VIOLENCE that she was born a transwoman because of the sins
committed by her father, a curse placed on him by
AND COPING METHODS other transwomen whom her father had abused.
However, Ann is very certain about her gender
Physical violence by family members led several LBT
identity, and does not think of herself as a boy.116
persons to leave home at a young age. Eight out of
Gia, a Malay transwoman in her late forties, also
45 interviewees (5 transwomen, 2 lesbians and one
blamed bad karma. Like Ann, Gia believed that her
transman) ran away from home as teenagers to
father’s hostile treatment towards transwomen
escape physical and other forms of violence – in
resulted in her being born as a transwoman. Some
some cases as young teens. Fred, a 24-year-old trans-
of Gia’s transwomen friends share that same belief.117
man, was forced to leave home at age eighteen
because of the violence he experienced from his
LBT interviewees who were unable to leave home
father and the growing tension in the home. He
used various methods to cope with physical and
relocated to another country.114 Economic and
emotional violence by family members. One
emotional violence from family members also drove
transman, two transwomen and two lesbians said
LBT persons away from home. Fatima, a 37-year-
that they isolated themselves in their rooms or
old Malay lesbian, was outed to her family
dodged family functions to avoid different kinds of
members by an unknown source when
family violence. Ellen is a 31-year-old lesbian,
she was nineteen. Her parents withdrew
whose mother beat her because of her sexual
financial support although she was
orientation. She isolated herself by staying
in school and economically
in her bedroom to avoid interacting
dependent on them. They
with her mother, saying, “less
subjected her to prolonged
interaction, less nagging, less
silent treatment. Fatima was
beatings and physical pain.” She
forced to leave home. She moved
noted that even as an adult now,
to a different city.115 Some inter-
she still spends most of her time
viewees, who left home to escape
in her bedroom more than any
violence, either moved in with
other room in her house.118 Another
their lover or partner
lesbian, Bear, 27 years old and a
or had friends from the
Malay Muslim, also employed the
community who were
same method of coping and with-
willing to support them
drew herself from her family members
emotionally.
when they subjected her to emotional
violence upon discovering her sexual
Another impact of family
orientation.119 Emilia, a 24-year-old
rejection and condemnation
Chinese transwoman bound her
is that some of the transwomen
breasts whenever she attended a family
believed that their gender identity
function to avoid attention being drawn
and gender expression were the result
to herself.120 Shirley, a 34-year-old trans-
of their fathers’ sins, a burden they
woman, who now lives on her own, said

Jallen, “Transgender political sec of Tanjung Bungah rep hopes
for equal treatment,” The Star Online, July 12, 2013, http://www.
thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2013/07/12/Transgender-Tajung-
Bunga-rep.aspx.
114 Fred, interview with research team member, April 2011.
116 Ibid.
117 Gia, interview with research team member, February 2011.
118 Ellen, interview with research team member, February 2011.
119 Bear, interview with research team member, April 2011.

115 Fatima, interview with research team member, April 2011. 120 Emilia, interview with research team member, January 2011.

Malaysia: On the Record 129

that she hated family gatherings. She explained,
“All eyes would be on me [and] during hari raya
[Eid, a Muslim festival], every year, a lot of rela-
tives will come over to the house, and that’s the
most torturous time for me because everybody
talks about me like, arrrggghhh, I don’t want to
hear!’ I always like to stay in the room and don’t
come out or meet people.”121 Another lesbian who
was heavily pressured to marry said she avoided
family functions.
Some interviewees isolated themselves from the
public to spare their family members from having
to listen to verbally humiliating questions about
the LBT individuals’ sexual orientation or gender
identity. These questions were asked by visitors to
the home or even strangers.
Discriminatory school environments disrupted
LBT student education. Many transgender
students, forced to dress in clothes that did not
match their gender identity and lesbians whose
sexual orientation was discovered, said that they
fell behind in their studies because they sim-
ply could not focus. Four interviewees actually
dropped out of school at an early age, which they
said deprived them of an education.
The use of religion had serious negative impact on
LBT persons. Pengkid interviewees, who had been
repeatedly told that being in a relationship with
a woman is sinful and condemned by religious
authorities, told us they hoped one day to revert
to their assigned female gender and be married
with a family in order to lead a “normal” life.
These individuals see themselves as sinners for
having intimate relationships with women. Malay
Muslim transwomen told us that they wanted
to revert to their assigned male gender as they
approach old age because in Muslim burial rituals,
only members of the same assigned gender as the
deceased are allowed to bathe her/him, which
leaves transgender persons in limbo. Also according
to the Malay Muslim custom, women are not
allowed to bathe post-operative transwomen.122
121 Shirley, interview with research team member, January 2011.
122 Y. K. Teh, Mak Nyahs (Male Transsexuals) in Malaysia: The
130 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
Some Malay Muslim transwomen said they opted
out of SRS or any irreversible surgeries because of
religious beliefs and culture.
In situation of public violence, coping included
“normalizing” the violence. Many interviewees
learned to ignore the violence to the extent that
they now feel no longer consciously bothered
or affected by it, especially verbal violence by
strangers. Ima, a transwoman who experienced
verbal violence, rape, extortion, and other forms
of violence said she has normalised the violence
she faces as a way of coping.
In public situations, LBT persons with adequate
material or financial resources were able to prevent,
avoid or get out of potentially violent situations
that for instance involved police officers, anti-vice
officers or religious department officers. Some
LBT interviewees used their ethnicity to get out
of such situations.
Home health remedies were one way that many
LBT persons avoided dealing with medical
institutions that were unfriendly and abusive
to LBT patients. Interviewees told us that they
opted for alternative medicine and self-medication
for non-life threatening health issues. This gave
them a sense of having more control over their
health needs.
Self-harm and suicide were also some ways of
coping. Some LBT interviewees reported that
the violence and discrimination they faced drove
them to attempt suicide, cut themselves and
excessively consume alcohol and drugs. At least
three interviewees revealed that they had attempted
suicide because they were confused about their
sexual orientation and gender identity, and had
no access to assistance to address the violence that
they faced. One interviewee sought assistance
from the Befrienders helpline for depression
because of her sexual orientation.
Influence of Culture and Religion on their Identity. IJT 5,3, (2001),
http://www.symposion.com/ijt/ijtvo05no03_04.htm.
Interviewees named family members and friends
as their main support system. When this support
system became a perpetrator of violence, many
had to find creative and healthy outlets for their
frustration and pain. Some turned to music while
others went on Facebook to rant, seek some calm
or distract themselves.
A number of interviewees were aware of online
communities – individuals, collectives and organi-
zations that assist LGBT persons. However, most
of them had not sought assistance from these on-
line communities primarily because they felt that
they were capable of resolving their problems on
their own or with the assistance of their friends.
LEGAL SYSTEM
AND LBT PEOPLE
In Malaysia, secular laws – Criminal and Civil –
and Islamic or syariah laws co-exist to govern its
citizens. Syariah laws are administered at a state
level by religious departments, syariah courts and
muftis. These laws apply only to Muslims regarding
issues such as marriage, divorce, and the creation
and punishment of offences in relation to Islam.123
With the state endorsing Islamic dominance in
Malaysia, fatwa also plays a very important role in
shaping non-religious public policies and enactment
of secular laws. In 1983, the Council of Rulers
imposed a ban on SRS for Muslims through a
fatwa. Since then, many additional fatwas have
been introduced to prohibit Muslims from changing
their assigned gender on the national identification
card and to prohibit Muslim women from masculine
gender expression (i.e., pengkid, butch women or
tomboys). Fatwas are enforceable only after they
have been gazetted but many are treated as if they
are law regardless of their gazetted status.
123 In practice, this is not necessarily so. See Norani Othman,
Zainah Anwar and Zaitun Mohamed Kasim, “Malaysia:
Islamization, Muslim politics and state authoritarianism,
Muslim Women and the challenge of Islamic extremism.”
Secular Laws
Section 377 comes under Unnatural Offences in
the Malaysian Penal Code (Act 574). Sections
377A and 377B criminalise “carnal intercourse
against the order of nature” (anal sex, oral sex)
between consenting adults regardless of the sexual
partner’s gender, as well as gross indecency.124
These sections of the Penal Code have reportedly
been invoked only seven times since 1938,125
four of which were against Anwar Ibrahim, the
former Deputy Prime Minister.126 Punishment for
“carnal intercourse against the order of nature” is
prison up to 20 years with liability for whipping.
Section 377C criminalises rape – non-consensual
sexual intercourse that involves oral and anal sex
acts carried out under threat of death or hurt to
the victim. Punishment for these acts of rape is
a prison term of not less than five years and not
more than twenty years with liability for whipping.
The prevalent notion as expressed in 377C is that
oral and anal rape is a lesser crime than anal and
oral sex between consenting adults. Section 377D
covers “outrage on decency” and criminalises the
commission of, attempt to, or conspiracy to commit
any act of gross indecency. Punishment is two
years in prison.
124 L aws of Malaysia, Act 574 Penal Code, http://www.agc.gov.my/
Akta/Vol.%2012/Act%20574.pdf.
125 A hmad Fuad Rahmat, “A review of ‘Homosexuality,
Right or Crime’?,” The Malaysian Insider, http://www.
themalaysianinsider.com/sideviews/article/a-review-of-
homosexuality-right-or-crime-ahmad-fuad-rahmat.
126 A nwar Ibrahim was accused of having “unnatural sex” with two
men in 1998 and again with his political assistant in 2008.
Malaysia: On the Record 131
SYARIAH (SHARIA) PENALTIES IN MALAYSIA FOR SAME-SEX RELATIONS BETWEEN WOMEN (MUSAHAQAH)

GU L F O F
T HA
H I L A ND RM 500
MAP LEGEND 30 Section Number of Law

= 1 Month in Prison = 1 Lash RM Fine in Malaysian Dollars

RM 5,000 RM 5,000 SULU
SEA

SO U T H C H I N A RM 1,000
RM 5,000 14 15 SEE A
KEDAH
15
26 KELANTAN 30
TERENGGANU
77
LABUAN
RM 2,000 RM 500 SABAH
53
PERAK
150
28 27 PAHANG RM 5,000
CELEBES
SELANGOR
RM 5,000 26 64 RM 3,000
KUALA NEGERI SEMBILAN
LUMPUR
59 26 23
MELAKA JOHOR SARAWAK

RM 5,000

RM 5,000 RM 1,000

Section 21 Minor Offences Act 1955 (Act 336)127

is a federal law that criminalises drunken, disorderly,
Syariah Laws
or indecent behaviour in public or in the immediate
Three provisions under syariah laws in Malaysia
vicinity of a court, public office, police station or
directly criminalise same-sex sexual relations
place of worship. Punishment is a fine that can be
and gender non-conformity: musahaqah (sexual
as high as 25 Malaysian ringgit or prison for not
relations between women), gender non-conform-
more than fourteen days. Second or subsequent
ing behaviour (tasyabbuh or “female posing as
convictions result in a fine of 100 Malaysian ringgit,
man” as well as “male posing as woman”), and
prison for not more than three months, or both.
liwat (carnal intercourse or sex against the order of
This law is used against transwomen for “disorderly
nature). Unlike the Penal Code that explicitly
or indecent behaviour.”
defines a sex act, the syariah laws allow for a
wider subjective interpretation of its offences.
There are no specific secular laws that criminalise
For a list of syariah laws and penalties that
transgender sex workers, though sex work is
directly affect LBT persons,128 see Appendix B
criminalised under the secular law in Malaysia.
and Appendix C.
Consequently, the Minor Offenses Act is used
to criminalise transgender people who are or
are perceived to be doing sex work and also for
cross-dressing (men posing as women). Both cases
are treated as indecent behaviour.

127 Laws of Malaysia, Act 336, Minor Offences act of 1955 (Revised
1987), http://www.agc.gov.my/Akta/Vol.%207/Act%20336.pdf. 128 Ibid.

132 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
RECOMMENDATIONS
The Malaysian government’s interpretation of Islamic law serves as a rationale for opposing efforts by the
international community to promote and protect the rights of LBT persons. The Yogyakarta Principles,
which serves as a premise for applying international human rights law to the lives of LBT persons, has little
traction with the Malaysian government. International human rights mechanisms have few concrete tools to
compel the Malaysian government to discharge its human rights obligations, and state institutions are slow
to implement international human rights instruments and consensus documents. This occurs in part because
public officials are inadequately trained and in part because there is no political will. Much work is needed on
the ground to train lawyers, judges and policymakers on Malaysia’s international human rights obligations.

The following recommendations to the government of Malaysia were included under the section on
the General Recommendation 28 of the Malaysian NGO CEDAW Alternative Report 2012.129 Some
of these recommendations were also made to the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human
Rights (AICHR).130 Based on the research findings, the Malaysian Government is called to undertake
the following actions:
1. To treat all people of diverse sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression as equals and
with respect and dignity.
2. To have consistent and meaningful dialogues with LBT rights groups and relevant stakeholders before
developing policies and laws concerning LBT persons.
3. To immediately repeal all laws that directly and indirectly criminalise sexual orientation, gender identity and
gender expression; and to harmonise the Yogyakarta Principles with national laws, policies and practices by:
• Repealing Sections 377A, 377B and 377D of the Penal Code;
• Repealing Section 21 of the Minor Offences Act 1955 that is used to control and persecute transpeople
as well as women;
• Repealing “liwat” and “musahaqah” under the syariah criminal offences laws; and
• Repealing “male person posing as a woman”, or vice versa under the syariah criminal offences laws.
4. To expand the understanding of “gender” to include people of diverse sexual orientation and gender
identity; and to include “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” in Article 8 of the Federal Constitution
of Malaysia, prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
5. To legally recognise transgender persons, both pre-operative and post-operative, as a legitimate identity by
allowing transgender persons to change their name, gender and digits in their identification cards and all legal
documents to match their reassigned gender.
6. To lift the ban on sex reassignment surgery and reintroduce sex reassignment surgery services,
including official pre- and post-operative counselling in hospitals as per the law prior to 1983
7. To immediately stop all LBT corrective programs in schools; to establish policies to prevent programs
that promote negative stereotypes of and discrimination against LBT persons; and to prohibit
programs that will be damaging to the development of LBT children.

129 “Malaysian NGO CEDAW Alternative Report 2012,” Women’s Aid Organisation, http://www.wao.org.my.

130 “ Statement of the First ASEAN Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and Queer (LGBTIQ) People’s Caucus,” ASEAN People’s Forum,
May 3-5, 2011, http://www.iglhrc.org.

Malaysia: On the Record 133

APPENDIX A: Mufti is a professional jurist who interprets
Islamic law.
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
Musahaqah or Musahakah refers to sexual
Anak ikan is a term used for boys or young men
relations between women.
who seek sexual services or fancy transwomen or
gay men.
Ombote literally means number nine in Tamil.
It is used as a derogatory term for effeminate
Bapok is a derogatory term to address gay men
men and transwomen
or transwomen. Equivalent of faggot.
Pengkid or peng are terms used almost exclu-
Cendut is a colloquial term for sex work.
sively for the Malay community and broadly
refers to Malay girls or women who: dress in a
Fatwa means religious opinion.
masculine way and take on a “masculine roles;”
use gender neutral or ambiguous names; bind
Hadd is also known as hudud.
their chests; are in romantic relationships with
women; and/or are butch lesbians and transmen.
Jambu is a term used for young effeminate boys
or pretty boys.
Pondan is an insulting term, used to address gay
men or transwomen. Equivalent of faggot.
Ladyboy is a self-identifying term used by
transwomen when referring to each other or
Sotong literally means squid. Commonly used to
themselves.
insult effeminate boys or men and transwomen.
Liwat refers to sexual relations between men.
Takzir or ta’zir refers to penalties for crimes that are
not proscribed in the Al-Quran and Al-Hadith.
Mak ayam literally means mother hen. A term
that is commonly used for older, senior trans-
Tasyabbuh literally means imitating or copying,
woman who supervises and guides younger
establishing or relating to, and following.
transwomen.
Thirunangai is an umbrella term for transwomen
Mak nyah is an umbrella term for transwomen
in Tamil. This word has only recently been
in Bahasa Melayu. This term has been reclaimed
discovered by the transwomen community.
by the transwomen community. Mak Nyah is a
combination of two words. Mak means mother.
Ummah refers to a collective nation or Islamic
Nyah comes from the word “baba and nyonya,”
state.
a community in Malacca.

134 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
APPENDIX B:
SYARIAH (SHARIA) PENALTIES IN MALAYSIA FOR SAME-SEX
RELATIONS BETWEEN WOMEN (MUSAHAQAH)

STATE IN SECTION OF READING OF THE

MALAYSIA SYARIAH LAW LAW

JOHOR Section 26 Musahaqah Any female person who commits musahaqah shall be guilty
of an offence and shall on conviction be liable to a fine not
exceeding 5000 Ringgit or to imprisonment for a term not
exceeding 3 years or to whipping not exceeding 6 strokes or to
any combination thereof.

KEDAH Section 15 Musahaqah Any female person who willfully commits musahaqah shall be
guilty of an offence and shall on conviction be liable to a fine
not exceeding 500 Ringgit or to imprisonment for a term not
exceeding 4 months or to both.

KELANTAN Section 15 Musahakah Any female person who willfully commits musahaqah shall be
guilty of an offence and shall on conviction be liable to a fine
not exceeding 5000 Ringgit or to imprisonment for a term not
exceeding 4 months or to both.

MELAKA Section 59 Musahaqah Any female person who willfully commits musahaqah shall be
guilty of an offence and shall on conviction be liable to a fine
not exceeding 1000 Ringgit or to imprisonment for a term not
exceeding 6 months or to both.

NEGERI Section 64 Any female person who commits musahaqah shall be guilty
SEMBILAN of an offence and shall onconviction be liable to a fine not
exceeding 3000 Ringgit or to imprisonment for a term not
exceeding 2 years or to both.

PAHANG Section 150 Sexual relations Any Muslim female person who engages in a sexual act
with/between women another Muslim or non-Muslim female person shall be guilty
of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not
exceeding 500 Ringgit or to imprisonment for a term not
exceeding 3 months or to both.

PERAK Section 53 Musahaqah Any female person who willfully commits musahaqah shall be
guilty of an offence and shall on conviction be liable to a fine
not exceeding 2000 Ringgit or to imprisonment for a term not
exceeding 1 year or to both.

PERLIS Section 14 Musahaqah Any female person who willfully commits musahaqah shall be
guilty of an offence and shall on conviction be liable to a fine
not exceeding 5000 Ringgit or to imprisonment for a term not
exceeding 3 years or to both.

Malaysia: On the Record 135

SYARIAH (SHARIA) PENALTIES IN MALAYSIA FOR SAME-SEX
RELATIONS BETWEEN WOMEN (MUSAHAQAH) (continued)

STATE IN SECTION OF READING OF THE

MALAYSIA SYARIAH LAW LAW

PENANG Section 26 Musahaqah Any female person who commits musahaqah shall be guilty of
 an offence and shall on conviction be liable to a fine not
exceeding 5000 Ringgit or to imprisonment for a term not
exceeding 3 years or to whipping not exceeding 6 strokes or to
any combination thereof.

SABAH Section 77 Musahaqah Any female person who willfully commits musahaqah shall be
guilty of an offence and shall on conviction be liable to a fine
not exceeding 1000 Ringgit or to imprisonment for a term not
exceeding 6 months or to both.

SARAWAK Section 23 Musahaqah Any female person who commits musahaqah shall be guilty
of an offence and shall on conviction be liable to a fine not
exceeding 5000 Ringgit or to imprisonment for a term not
exceeding 3 years or to whipping not exceeding 6 strokes or to
any combination thereof.

SELANGOR Section 27 Sexual relations Any person who engages in a sexual act with another person
between persons of the same gender shall be guilty of an offence and shall be
of same gender liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding 2000 Ringgit or to
imprisonment for a term not exceeding 1 year or to both.

Section 28 Sexual intercourse Any person who performs sexual intercourse against the
against the order order of nature with any man, woman or animal is guilty
of nature of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not
exceeding 5000 Ringgit or to imprisonment for a term not
exceeding 3 years or to whipping not exceeding 6 strokes or to
any combination thereof.

TERENGGANU Section 30 Musahaqah Any female person who commits musahaqah shall be guilty
of an offence and shall on conviction be liable to a fine not
exceeding 5000 Ringgit or to imprisonment for a term not
exceeding 3 years or to whipping not exceeding 6 strokes or to
any combination thereof.

WILAYAH Section 26 Musahaqah Any female person who commits musahaqah shall be guilty
PERSEKUTUAN of an offence and shall on conviction be liable to a fine not
KUALA LUMPUR exceeding 5000 Ringgit or to imprisonment for a term not
exceeding 3 years or to whipping not exceeding 6 strokes or to
any combination thereof.

136 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
SYARIAH (SHARIA) PENALTIES IN MALAYSIA FOR GENDER
NON-CONFORMING BEHAVIOURS

CRIMINALIZATION OF TRANSGENDER WOMEN

According to syariah laws in all thirteen states and in the federal capital of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur: any male person who, in
any public place, wears a woman’s attire and poses as a woman shall be guilty of an offence and shall on conviction be liable to
a fine not exceeding 1000 Malaysian ringgit or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year or to both.

CRIMINALIZATION OF TRANSGENDER MEN, BUTCH LESBIANS, WOMEN WHO CROSS DRESS,

MASCULINE APPEARING WOMEN

Additionally, in the state of Sabah, any female person who, in any public place, wears a woman’s attire and poses as a man
shall be guilty of an offence and shall on conviction be liable to a fine not exceeding 1000 Malaysian ringgit or to imprison-
ment for a term not exceeding one year or both.

Higher penalties are imposed in the states of Pahang and Perlis, where any female person who, in any public place, poses as a
man (tasyabbuh), shall be guilty of an offence and shall on conviction be liable to a fine not exceeding five thousand Malaysian
ringgit or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year or to both.

Until May 2012, Pahang was the only state that did not penalise gender non-conformity. It is reported that because of LGBT
visibility, it now has syariah laws relating to “male persons posing as women” and “female persons posing as men.”131

131 Rosilawato Rosedi, Awas geng mak nyah, tomboi, http://www.sinarharian.com.my/edisi/pahang/awas-geng-mak-nyah-tomboi-1.50263

Malaysia: On the Record 137

APPENDIX C:
PUBLIC MORALITY LAWS IN MALAYSIA AGAINST LIWAT OR “SEX AGAINST
THE ORDER OF NATURE”

STATE IN SECTION OF READING OF THE

MALAYSIA SYARIAH LAW LAW

KEDAH Section14 Liwat Any person who willfully commits an act of liwat shall be guilty
of an offence and shall, on conviction, be liable to a fine not,
exceeding 5000 Ringgit or to imprisonment for a term not
exceeding 3 years or to both.132

KELANTAN Section 14 Liwat Any person who willfully commits an act of liwat that cannot be
punished under the hadd laws (hudud) according to the hukum
syarak (Islamic laws) shall be guilty of an offence and shall, on
conviction, be liable to a fine not, exceeding 5000 Ringgit or to
imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 years or to both.133

MELAKA Section 56 Liwat Any person who willfully commits an act of liwat shall be guilty
of an offence and shall, on conviction, be liable to a fine not,
exceeding 5000 Ringgit or to imprisonment for a term not
exceeding 36 months or to both.134

Section 57 Attempt to commit Liwat Any person who performs sexual intercourse against the order
of nature with any man, woman or animal has to punished in
accordance to takzir and shall be liable on conviction to a fine
not exceeding 5000 Ringgit or to imprisonment for a term not
exceeding 36 months or to whipping not exceeding 6 strokes
or to any combination thereof.135

MELAKA Section 58 Sexual intercourse against Any person who attempts to perform unnatural sex is guilty of
the order of nature an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not
exceeding 3000 Ringgit or to imprisonment for a term not
exceeding 24 months or to both.136

132 Enakmen Kanun Jenayah SyariahSyariah 1988 http://www2.esyariahsyariah.gov.my/esyariahsyariah/mal/portalv1/undangbm.nsf/

allp/4D82C56A5480936548256F85000279B1?Opendocument

133 Enakmen 2 Tahun 1985
Enakmen Kanun Jenayah SyariahSyariah 1985 http://www2.esyariahsyariah.gov.my/esyariahsyariah/mal/portalv1/

enakmen/State_Enact_Upd.nsf/f831ccddd195843f48256fc600141e84/1fdfa69939457a4b482573a6001a9dca?OpenDocument

134 Enakmen 6 Tahun 1991
Enakmen Kesalahan SyariahSyariah (Negeri Melaka) 1991 http://www2.esyariahsyariah.gov.my/esyariahsyariah/mal/
portalv1/enakmen/State_Enact_Ori.nsf/100ae747c72508e748256faa00188094/011744f940f251f04825707d002a1424?OpenDocument

135 Enakmen 6 Tahun 1991
Enakmen Kesalahan SyariahSyariah (Negeri Melaka) 1991 http://www2.esyariahsyariah.gov.my/esyariahsyariah/mal/
portalv1/enakmen/State_Enact_Ori.nsf/100ae747c72508e748256faa00188094/84a6a5cb3f30215f4825707d002a284c?OpenDocument

136 Enakmen 6 Tahun 1991
Enakmen Kesalahan SyariahSyariah (Negeri Melaka) 1991 http://www2.esyariahsyariah.gov.my/esyariahsyariah/mal/
portalv1/enakmen/State_Enact_Ori.nsf/100ae747c72508e748256faa00188094/74b75e1cee4acd884825707d002a3b0f?OpenDocument

138 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
STATE IN SECTION OF READING OF THE
MALAYSIA SYARIAH LAW LAW

Section 49 Conspiracy to Ringgit or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 24 months

commit sexual or to both.137
intercourse against
the order of nature

NEGERI Section 65 Liwat Any person who performs sexual intercourse against the
SEMBILAN order of nature with any man, woman or animal is guilty of an
offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding
5000 Ringgit or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2
years or to both.138

PERAK Section 48 Un-natural sex Any person who performs unnatural sex is guilty of an offence
and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding 5000
Ringgit or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 years or
to both and to whipping not exceeding 6 strokes.139

Section 49 Attempt to have Any person who attempts to perform unnatural sex is guilty
un-natural sex of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not
exceeding 5000 Ringgit or to imprisonment for a term not
exceeding 3 years or to both.140

PERLIS Section 13 Liwat Any female person who willfully commits musahaqah shall be
guilty of an offence and shall on conviction be liable to a fine
not exceeding 5000 Ringgit or to imprisonment for a term not
exceeding 3 years or to both.141

137 Enakmen 6 Tahun 1991
Enakmen Kesalahan SyariahSyariah (Negeri Melaka) 1991 http://www2.esyariahsyariah.gov.my/esyariahsyariah/mal/
portalv1/enakmen/State_Enact_Ori.nsf/100ae747c72508e748256faa00188094/4db8d0ac742b46f14825707d002a02fd?OpenDocument

138 Enakmen 4 Tahun 1992 
Enakmen Jenayah SyariahSyariah Negeri Sembilan 1992 http://www2.esyariahsyariah.gov.my/esyariahsyariah/mal/
portalv1/enakmen/State_Enact_Ori.nsf/100ae747c72508e748256faa00188094/248c3c8da5eb8b10482570dd00064b5f?OpenDocument

139 Enakmen 3 Tahun 1992, 
Enakmen Jenayah (SyariahSyariah)1992 http://www2.esyariahsyariah.gov.my/esyariahsyariah/mal/portalv1/enakmen/

State_Enact_Ori.nsf/100ae747c72508e748256faa00188094/c8e52d59dd5bcce8482572ad002dc463?OpenDocument.

140 Ibid.

141 Enakmen Kanun Jenayah SyariahSyariah 1988 http://www2.esyariahsyariah.gov.my/esyariahsyariah/mal/portalv1/undangbm.nsf/

allp/4D82C56A5480936548256F85000279B1?Opendocument.

Malaysia: On the Record 139

PUBLIC MORALITY LAWS IN MALAYSIA AGAINST LIWAT OR “SEX AGAINST
THE ORDER OF NATURE” (continued)
STATE IN SECTION OF READING OF THE
MALAYSIA SYARIAH LAW LAW

SELANGOR Section 27 Sexual relations Any person who engages in a sexual act with another person
between persons of the same gender shall be guilty of an offence and shall be
of same gender liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding 2000 Ringgit or to
imprisonment for a term not exceeding 1 year or to both.

Section 28 Sexual intercourse Any person who performs sexual intercourse against the
against the order order of nature with any man, woman or animal is guilty
of nature of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not
exceeding 5000 Ringgit or to imprisonment for a term not
exceeding 3 years or to whipping not exceeding 6 strokes or to
any combination thereof.

TERENGGANU There are no syariah laws that specifically criminalise sex

against the order of nature.

PAHANG There are no syariah laws that specifically criminalise sex

against the order of nature.

JOHOR Section 25 Criminalise men for liwat but do not specifically target
women for similar criminalization.

PENANG Section 25 Criminalise men for liwat but do not specifically target
women for similar criminalization.

SABAH Section 82 Criminalise men for liwat but do not specifically target
women for similar criminalization.

SARAWAK Section 22 Criminalise men for liwat but do not specifically target
women for similar criminalization.

KUALA Section 25 Criminalise men for liwat but do not specifically target
LUMPUR women for similar criminalization.

140 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
PAKISTAN
“WHERE I CAN
ACTUALLY BE ME”
Experiences of Violence and Discrimination

O PAKISTAN
CONTE NTS

INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................................................147
INTERVIEWEE DEMOGRAPHICS ...........................................................................................................148
COUNTRY CONTEXT.................................................................................................................................149
MANIFESTATIONS OF VIOLENCE...........................................................................................................149
Emotional Violence....................................................................................................................................150
Physical Violence........................................................................................................................................151
Sexual Violence...........................................................................................................................................153
IMPACT OF VIOLENCE AND COPING METHODS.................................................................................157
LAWS AFFECTING LBT PEOPLE..............................................................................................................158
RECOMMENDATIONS..............................................................................................................................159
APPENDIX A: GLOSSARY OF TERMS.....................................................................................................160
146 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia

INTRODUCTION
From December 2010 to March 2012,
the members of O Pakistan conducted
50 interviews (41 with LBT individuals
and 9 with stakeholders in the
education, legal, non-governmental
and journalism sectors).
Our method of identifying respondents
was based very much on access and
security. Because we belong to the
community from which we have been
collecting data and because there is a
lot of risk attached to outing oneself,
many of the respondents are friends
and acquaintances.
Our first set of respondents was from among
these. Using snowball sampling, we requested
our contacts to put us in touch with people they
knew personally. This method had limited success
as, even after our mutual friends vouched for our
work, many of the potential respondents were un-
comfortable with either the idea of the interview
in the first place or more specifically the main
research focus: violence. Where possible, we asked
for the reason for their reluctance to participate.
Though we did not document their responses,
as we considered that a violation of their stated
wishes, we can summarise the responses in two
ways: a simple fear of exposure; and a lack of con-
fidence in the merits and impact of such a study,
given that we live, as they asserted, in a repressive
and dangerous environment.
Due to a constraint of resources, not all the inter-
views were transcribed and translated from Urdu
to English in time to be coded along with the rest
of the data. This chapter is based on 23 out of
the total 50 interviews that we conducted. It is a
deep regret of ours that the majority of the data,
which was left untranslated and uncoded is from
our interviews with khwajasaras. Some of these
interviews nevertheless have informed our analysis
so that these experiences are part of this chapter.
Due to the research constraints and resulting bias
in our sample, we are aware that the experiences
we relay in this chapter are not representative of
the life experiences of all LBT people in Pakistan.
However, since it is clear that rights violations
generally have more negative effect on those who
are unconnected, resource-poor, or otherwise
disadvantaged, we believe our research shows
only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to
discrimination and abuse. We have no doubt that
many LBT individuals in Pakistan live their daily
lives in fear. It is our hope that this research will
contribute to changing that situation, even if only
marginally.
Pakistan: “Where I Can Actually Be Me” 147
 Most of the khwajasaras we interviewed were reached
INTERVIEWEE through their Gurus (khwajasara community
leaders), who are from two separate deras or house-
DEMOGRAPHICS holds, one in Karachi and one in Lahore. Through
mutual acquaintances, we made contact with
PAKISTAN each Guru and explained our project. Each Guru
SELF-IDENTIFICATION: SEXUAL ORIENTATION considered our project and then allowed us to meet
her chelas or disciples. The Gurus also asked that we
BISEXUAL
FTM TRANSGENDER MEN monetarily compensate her chelas for their time as we
KHWAJASARA were interrupting their workday, and we obliged.
LESBIAN

PAKISTAN
LOCATIONS OF LBT INDIVIDUALS INTERVIEWED
UZB
ZB
BEKISTAN
N TAJIKISTAN
CHINA
TURKMENISTAN

Jammu

and

Out of the 41 LBT interviews, 12 people identified AFGHANISTAN ISLAMABAD

Kashmir

as lesbian, 5 as bisexual women, 3 as female-to-male

(FTM) transgender men (with one identifying as LAHORE
US
both lesbian and FTM) and 17 identifying as IRAN IND

khwajasara.1 Three people chose not to have any spe- MULTAN

cific identity and two chose other identity markers.

Most of the cisgender (gender identity and gender

INDIA
expression conforms to the gender assigned at
birth) lesbian and bisexual women we interviewed KARACHI
were from Lahore, drawn from within our extended
network. We had one respondent from Islamabad, ARABIAN
SEA
one from Multan and three from Karachi – places 150 km

where we have less of a presence and therefore Areas where research was conducted
were less able to establish the long-term trust that
served us so well in Lahore.
Most of our respondents came from Muslim back-
The three FTM interviewees were from diverse
grounds, though some Christian respondents are
backgrounds. Joan, who also identifies as a lesbian,
represented among the khwajasaras and two lesbian
is from a working class Christian background in
and bisexual women were Christian. Muslims make
Lahore. Umer comes from a middle class Ismaili
up 98% of the population of Pakistan. Religious
Muslim family in Karachi and now permanently
groups are largely insular, and members of minority
resides in the United States but still spends much
religious communities live amidst much violence
of his time in Pakistan. Mari, who identifies as
and abuse meted out against them by some
transgender but lives as a woman, is from a middle-
members of the Muslim-majority society.2 These
class Muslim family in Lahore and is employed in a
white-collar job; she earns a good income.

2 “Pakistan Christians Die in Unrest,” BBC News, August 2, 2009,

accessed on March 23, 2013, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_
1 Khwajasara is a term that refers to male-bodied individuals asia/8179823.stm; Rabia Mehmood, “Over 100 Ahmadi Graves
who identify with female gender roles and expressions and Desecrated in Lahore” The Express Tribune, http://tribune.com.
live together in communities. See Glossary. pk/story/474468/over-100-ahmadi-graves-desecrated-in-lahore/.

148 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
factors have limited our access across religious
and class lines as our group is made of middle to
upper-middle class LGBT people who are largely
from Muslim backgrounds.
As a result of this snowball method of gathering
respondents and the respondents’ trepidation,
our sample is somewhat skewed in terms of class
dynamic. Most, though not all, of the lesbian
and bisexual women belong to the middle or
upper-middle class and are comfortable conversing
in English or a mixture of English and Urdu. All
of the khwajasara respondents belong to the
lower-middle or working class and their inter-
views were conducted primarily in Urdu, with a
few conducted in a mix of Urdu and Punjabi.
COUNTRY CONTEXT
While Pakistan is imagined in the current global
climate to be a hotbed of terrorism, anti-woman
sentiment, fundamentalism and radical Islamism,
the fact of the matter is that the Pakistani context
is far more complicated. Where there is religious
extremism and violence, there is also resistance,
solidarity and community building among those
directly affected by local, national and international
structures that fuel inequality and discrimination.
What complicates the Pakistani context is a mix
of deeply ingrained, structural problems that
are often at odds with each other and that pull
ordinary Pakistanis in a variety of directions. The
first is a growing Islamic sentiment within the
government and the populace that burgeoned in
the 1980s during the time of the dictator Zia.
Zia-ul-Haq staged a military coup in 1977 and
began an eleven-year reign in which Zia brought
about a number of regressive laws under a guise of
“Islamization,” some of which explicitly restricted
women’s equality and promoted a vision of women
as inherently immoral. The most infamous of this
was the rape law under the Hudood Ordinances
that required four male witnesses in order to
prove that a rape had occurred. Laws and legal
institutions enforce prevailing gender norms,
which assume that all women are heterosexual, de-
pendent on men, and do not display sexual desires.
These norms are enforced by the police and by other
State institutions, creating an environment where
women in same-sex relationships and others who
do not gender-conform cannot freely express
themselves or live their lives. (See “The Legal
Landscape’ section in this chapter for details).
Dovetailing with this is an anti-American
sentiment occasioned by the US War on Terror
and the continuous drone attacks on Pakistani
people in the Northwest.3 Together, this creates
a situation in which human rights advocates
confront numerous barriers to their work, most
notably a concern for the safety and security of
those whose situations they seek to improve.
MANIFESTATIONS OF
VIOLENCE
The most widely reported violence was emotional
violence, ranging from sexually explicit verbal abuse
in the streets to intense humiliation and psycholog-
ical torture in the home. However, where physical
and sexual violence were reported, the violence
was often extreme and heinous. We have chosen
to highlight the emotional, physical and sexual
violence people face in their communities because
these are the most prevalent types of violence.
Most often the violence that LBT individuals face
in their communities is a reflection of structural
and institutional violence. Moreover, State actors
often exert violence against LBT individuals and
fail to protect LBT people from other non-State
perpetrators. This creates a climate of permissiveness,
where community members feel justified in their
violence or discrimination of those who do not
gender-conform.
3 “Demonstration: ‘230 Drone Strikes Carried Out in Past Five
Years,’” The Express Tribune, March 5, 2013, accessed on March
23, 2013, http://tribune.com.pk/story/515831/demonstration-
230-drone-strikes-carried-out-in-past-five-years/. Joshua Hersh,
“Hina Rabbani Khar, Pakistan Foreign Minister: Drones Are Top
Cause of Anti-Americanism,” Huffington Post, September 28,
2012, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/28/hina-rabbani-
khar-drones_n_1922637.html.
Pakistan: “Where I Can Actually Be Me” 149

Emotional Violence
There was a wide range of emotional violence
reported by all respondents. In the case of lesbian
and bisexual women, the emotional violence and
mistreatment sometimes stemmed from being
women. They were subjected to misogynistic
treatment, and they experienced neglect and
actions that invisibilised their existence, desires,
and choices. The lesbians we talked to reported
emotional, psychological and economic negligence
(which included financial controlling behaviours)
as well as physical and emotional violence, of
which emotional violence was the most reported
form of violence. As Patricia reported:
I was being ignored and neglected at home,
my communication with my parents
was non-existent at that time, and I used
to think that I am unloved and I wasn’t
needed and there is no purpose of life.4
Ghazala, a 40-year old lesbian reported “a lot
of restrictions”5 from her family, even after she
entered the job market, with her family requiring
her to be home by seven p.m. If her bus was late,
she was interrogated: “Where did you go? Why
are you late? Where are you coming from? Who
did you meet?” Ghazala added, “My bag would be
checked, my clothes would be searched. There was
no way you could even meet someone, you could
not talk to anyone, could not go anywhere.”6
Khwajasaras experienced verbal denigration on
the streets in the form of ridicule, catcalling and
cursing. They were harassed for their gender iden-
tity and gender expression. Falak, who works for a
government tax-collection office, reported having
a great deal of trouble travelling around Karachi
in female clothes because men yelled verbal and
4 Patricia, pansexual. Organization for the Protection and
Propagation of the Rights of Sexual Minorities (O Pakistan),
Lahore, 2010.
5 Ghazala, bisexual. O Pakistan, Lahore, 2011.
6 Ghazala, bisexual. O Pakistan, Lahore, 2011.
150 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
sexual abuses at her all along the way.7
Lesbian women reported verbal abuse by family
members as well as their acquaintances and peer
groups. Shaheen and her partner’s acquaintances,
on several different occasions, called them “carpet
munchers,” and in one instance, a male acquain-
tance asked them to “kiss each other for their
pleasure.” Shaheen reported that she and her part-
ners were often “propositioned for the pleasure of
a man or more than one man” in a social setting.8
Most of the lesbians we talked to were not out to
their families. The women who identified as butch
or were more masculine presenting were pressured
to talk, behave and act more womanly or femi-
nine. Anam explained:
Yeah they always used to criticise me,
‘what the hell are you wearing?’And I used
to talk like, boys, like really loud, you
know, like a gangster-style, sort of thing.
And they used to criticise me, ‘what the
fuck is that. Nothing you do is like a girl,
what’s your problem?’9
Transgender men also felt the policing of gender
strongly. Umer reflected how this bothered him:
… more was when they put me in girl’s
clothing, rather then the physical [abuse] …
Yeah, that hurt, but I got over it. But the
feeling of discomfort, I got so uncomfort-
able when they put me in female, feminine
outfits. Ugh, I hated it, it would really ruin
my day, my evening! It really would!10
Notions of the absolute necessity of marriage are
linked to respectability, being a good daughter and
even a good Muslim. Family members as well as peers
see homosexual desire as a threat to family stability
and religious integrity, both individual and social.
7 Falak, khwajasara. O Pakistan, Karachi, 2011. Uncoded interview.
8 Shaheen, lesbian. O Pakistan, Karachi, 2011.
9 Anam, lesbian. O Pakistan, Karachi, 2011.
10 Umer, transgender man. O Pakistan, Karachi, 2011.
21-year old Zuleikha, a bisexual woman, said that desire to leave the country is coupled with a desire
the woman she was in love with responded to her to be able to live openly, free from the barrage of
confession of love by telling her that, according to pressures that their families and society constantly
Islam, “There is no room for such love. This is not place on them.
normal.”11 Zuleikha is very religious and observant,
and believed, along with her peer group and the
woman she loved, that marriage is a cure to all the
problems in her life. She said, “… Like, I don’t
Physical Violence
have anybody in my life, anybody to love. That
Physical violence was often part of the repressive
emotionally as well as physically, both would go if
environment in the home. Homosexual and
I got married.”12
gender non-conforming individuals are threatening
to social balance because they do not reinforce
Joan and her partner, a working class Christian
the heterosexual family structure and the male
couple, tried to move to Dubai to work in a salon;
as head of household. Consequently, physical
they were in search of a place where they could
violence in the natal family (family of origin)
live together without family pressure. But they
was disturbingly common, triggered by disobeying
found themselves being forced to do sex work in
social and cultural expectations, gender non
Dubai. Once they managed to escape from there,
-conformity, rebelling against repressive gender
with a great deal of stress, they were returned to
practices, being caught in homosexual activity, or
the situation in Pakistan from which they had
being discovered in a homosexual relationship.
tried to free themselves – poverty and familial
Some are even killed by their relatives.
abuse.13 On her return, Joan found herself feeling
demoralised and downcast:
... where physical and sexual violence were
I feel helpless, because every day and every
reported, the violence was often extreme and
night, Maria lives at her parents’ house.
heinous.
Now her father is also living with her. Her
marriage is under discussion [by the family].
And when I hear it, I … feel weary. For how
Perpetrators of family violence were usually
long will I be able to stop these people?
parents, supported by siblings and, in joint family
Or for how long they are going to face the
homes, extended family members as well.
resistance? … And Maria says we cannot
live this way in Pakistan. People say a hun-
Umer, a transgender man from Karachi, reported
dred things here, she says once we’re out of
being beaten up by his father several times because
Pakistan we are going to live all our lives
he did not dress appropriately for his gender, He
together. And if things don’t work out, her
said, “ … he even beat me up for cutting my hair
family is going to marry her off.14
too short.”15
Joan’s weariness and depression comes from
Ghazala, a bisexual woman from Lahore,
the two of them having endured verbal abuse,
reported that members of her extended family
physical abuse, sexual abuse and economic abuse
would frequently taunt her, asking her parents
(in terms of eviction and loss of property). Their
“Why does she act like boys? Her attire is not
womanly at all, what will we do when she gets
married? People don’t like girls who act like boys.”16
11 Zuleikha, bisexual. O Pakistan, Lahore, 2011.

12 Zuleikha, bisexual. O Pakistan, Lahore, 2011.

13 Joan, lesbian/transgender man. O Pakistan, Lahore, 2011. 15 Umer, transgender man. O Pakistan, Karachi, 2011.

14 Joan, lesbian/transgender man. O Pakistan, Lahore, 2011. 16 Ghazala, bisexual. O Pakistan, Lahore, 2011.

Pakistan: “Where I Can Actually Be Me” 151

Particularly severe is the case of Sherry, a 22-year-
old bisexual woman, who was beaten by almost
every member of her natal family:
[My] brother beat me because I was going
out with a girl and stuff … I was so much
older than him and nobody was there say
anything to him … Everyone was standing
there watching … sister also beat [me] and
called me ugly, disgusting and a prostitute
… [My] father threw a knife at me when
I disobeyed him. That is when [I] realised
that my dad can kill, literally can kill me.17
Some lesbians and bisexual women entered
heterosexual marriage to escape violence in the
natal home ... [but] violence also took place in
the marital home.
Joan’s uncle’s family used her non-heteronormative
gender expression and her relationship with her
female partner to threaten, blackmail and cheat
Joan out of family property. The uncle’s family
threw Joan and her partner out on the street with
their luggage and forced them to sign papers,
deeding their property to the uncle.18 Furthermore,
Joan’s partner’s family would repeatedly restrict her
and her partner’s movements, refusing to let Joan’s
partner leave the house to visit Joan, or beating
Joan and throwing her out when she came to visit
her partner. They would verbally abuse her, saying,
“She has nothing to do with our family, neither is
she related to any of us, why do you people let her
in the house? Get her out of here.”19
Some lesbians and bisexual women entered hetero-
sexual marriage to escape violence in the natal home.
Some married because they were under pressure to
comply with family expectations to marry (a man)
and could not imagine a way out of this.20 Either
way, the heterosexual marriages produced disastrous
17 Sherry, bisexual. O Pakistan, Lahore, 2010.
18 Joan, lesbian/transgender man. O Pakistan, Lahore, 2011.
19 Joan, lesbian/transgender man. O Pakistan, Lahore, 2011.
20 Sherry, bisexual. O Pakistan, Lahore, 2010.
152 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
results. Violence also took place in the marital home.
All the lesbian and bisexual respondents who had
been forced to marry experienced severe physical and
sexual violence from their husbands.
Sherry, a 22-year-old bisexual woman in Lahore
who had been forced to marry by her family said
her reluctance to have sex with her husband led
him to “beat the shit out of ” her.
Shaheen, a lesbian in Karachi, endured an
abusive marriage for nearly a year at the age of
20 after her family pressured her into marriage.
She told us, “Everyday I went through all kinds
of physical, sexual, verbal abuse;21 it was not just
a matter of duty.” For Shaheen, enduring the
marriage for as long as she did was certainly in
part due to fear, but she also felt it was a test for
herself to see if she could, in fact, be in a marriage
to fulfill her sense of duty to her family.
... the family is unregulated and often holds
almost absolute control over the individual.
When she found that she could not, she still had to
wait for “an out” in the form of a visible manifesta-
tion of the violence she had been experiencing:
I told my parents after 10 months. I
hadn’t [told them], the whole time that
I was there. But something happened
which was, I had a bruise on my face
for the first time, otherwise he was very
careful, my whole body was bruised, but
my face was [not]… So it was, probably
I needed a reason and excuse to say it.
And I knew within myself that I had, in a
manner of speaking, tested myself in the
marriage enough. And in that case I knew
that this was it and I had an out.22
As we can see, most of the female-bodied people,
whether lesbian, bisexual or transgender, expe-
rienced physical violence primarily within the
21 Shaheen, lesbian. O Pakistan, Karachi, 2011.
22 Shaheen, lesbian. O Pakistan, Karachi, 2011.
private sphere. This is similar to the experience of
heterosexual cisgender women in Pakistan.
As for violence in the public sphere, transgender
men and lesbians with a masculine gender presen-
tation reported experiencing verbal harassment.
They rarely reported physical violence in public.
Those who did report it spoke about unwanted
sexual touching in public spaces.
Khwajasaras, on the other hand, reported that
most of the violence they experienced occurred in
the public sphere, often on the streets during the
course of their work, such as toli (begging), street
dancing and/or sex work. They reported a great
deal of verbal ridicule and verbal abuse, which
frequently led to physical and sexual violence.
Amber, a khwajasara in Karachi, reported that some
men on the street threw banana peels, and yelled
abusive words and humiliating jokes at her. She also
reported, “[Men on the street] would beat us, undress
us, or snatch our purses.”23 Violence on the streets
was compounded by police complicity. Amber iden-
tified police officers as among those who perpetrated
different kinds of violence against khwajasaras:
They [the police] beat us … with sticks,
slap us and kick us. When we saw them
coming from a distance, we hide…. Yes,
then they catch us. They don’t say any-
thing to us then, but take money from
the other party. They do pimping for us
as well … they take money from us. They
say ok there would be a car coming, sit in
it and then we will catch you red-handed.
They charge them money and don’t even
give us our share.24
In 2010, a group of 20 or so khwajasaras celebrat-
ing a salgirah (a ceremonial birthday celebration)
were arrested at their party. The police raided the
occasion based on unspecified reports that drugs and
alcohol were being consumed behind closed doors.
The police arrested most of the people at the party
23 Amber, khwajasara. O Pakistan, Lahore, 2011.
24 Amber, khwajasara. O Pakistan, Lahore, 2011.
including the individual (Amir) for whom the
celebration had been arranged. While the police were
transporting them, Amir, in fear of police reprisal,
jumped off the police van in an attempt to escape.
The other people present in the van allege that police
shot at Amir and this caused his death. However, the
police allege that Amir jumped off the van and hit his
head, which caused his death. There was no autopsy
to determine the actual cause of death.25
In another instance, the police arrested an
entire party of people under an allegation that a
man and a khwajasara named Rani were getting
married. The people arrested claimed they were
having a ceremonial gathering for Rani while the
police claimed a marriage was taking place.26
Sexual Violence
The people we spoke to had suffered sexual
violence ranging from sexual and lewd comments,
unwanted touching and grabbing, to sexual
molestation and rape.
Sexual violence was the most sensitive and difficult
form of violence for our respondents to talk about
and most of the time the interviewees either tried
to avoid the topic altogether or provided minimum
amount of detail about the incident.
That said, not a great deal of variation was reported
between the LBT people we interviewed. In almost
all cases, the perpetrators were non-State actors who
acted in private spaces, like homes. Almost all respon-
dents who told us they had been subject to sexual
violence reported that they knew the perpetrators.
It is also important to note that, for our respon-
dents, sexual violence did not occur in isolation
as all of them reported some form of physical or
25 Rameez Khan, “Eunuch killed: ‘He died from bullets, not head
injury,’” Express Tribune, November 27, 2010, http://tribune.
com.pk/story/82408/eunuch-killed-he-died-from-bullets-not-
head-injury/
26 S arah Suhail, “Hijras, Marriage and the Law,” Chay Magazine,
July 1, 2010, http://chaymagazine.org/2010-queer-jun/254-
Hijras-marriage-and-the-law
Pakistan: “Where I Can Actually Be Me” 153
emotional violence either as part of the sexual
assault or as separate incidents. Thus, sexual
violence was always part of a larger campaign
of abuse and degradation. In comparison with
other forms of violence it seemed less prevalent,
however, we cannot be certain whether this is
because it is actually less prevalent or because it
was reluctantly reported.
Some respondents felt that sexual harassment
was linked to negative stereotypes about LBT
individuals. Sherry, a 22-year-old bisexual woman
from Lahore, told us:
A couple of guys added me [on a social
networking site] and started chatting
and stuff, and sending me links of their
private parts or whatever … because most
of the people think that bisexuals and
lesbians are sort of whores.27
Other interviewees see the sexual harassment of
LBT women as an extension of the harassment all
women in Pakistan face. Natasha, a lesbian whose
experiences of homophobia in Pakistan led her to
move to Canada, reported:
Well, in Pakistan on the streets, I guess
there’s some amount of harassment, being
pinched, being touched … [These are]
common forms of sexual assault that most
women in Pakistan face.28
A few interviewees reported that they were sexually
molested during childhood by someone they
knew, such as a male servant or a male relative.
All had been violated more than once, some said
the childhood sexual abuse continued for several
years, and in some cases it lasted for as long as
six years. The interviewees were reluctant to
reveal the violations to family members because
they feared both the perpetrator and their families,
who could potentially chastise them, hit them or
hold them responsible for the abuse. As Zuleikha,
a 22-year-old bisexual woman in Lahore said, “I
27 Sherry, bisexual. O Pakistan, Lahore, 2010.
28 Natasha, lesbian. O Pakistan, Canada (via Skype), 2011.
154 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
was scared that my mother will scold me or hit me
or something like that.”29
Umer, a transgender man, reported that another
man threatened him with rape after Umer started
dating the man’s former girlfriend.30 He also
reported that his girlfriend’s sister suggested to his
mother that “maybe I [Umer] should be raped, in
order to convert me.”31
Ghazala, a bisexual woman who was raped by her
stepfather for seven years from the age of sixteen,
reported:
He raped me … and then I decided that
I am no longer going to stay there [at
home], because nobody was ready to
listen [to] me. When I tried to tell my
mother, my uncle, my family, they didn’t
accept. Even they were not ready to take it
seriously. They thought I am lying.32
Patricia, who was raped repeatedly in the home,
recounted:
Obviously I was shocked, scared and
hurt. Basically I felt insecure and felt
like an object. I thought don’t I have a
choice, opinion or permission and the
right of owning my own body? Was it
because of my physical weakness? Basi-
cally, I felt that if someone is physically
strong, does that give him any right to
take advantage at those who are phys-
ically weaker then you? It’s wrong … I
verbally abused myself that why I was
physically weak and couldn’t stop that
incident to happen.33
29 Zuleikha, bisexual. O Pakistan, Lahore, 2011.
30 Umer, transgender man. O Pakistan, Karachi, 2011.
31 Umer, transgender man. O Pakistan, Karachi, 2011.
32 Ghazala, bisexual. O Pakistan, Lahore, 2011.
33 Patricia, pansexual. O Pakistan, Lahore, 2010.
 MONICA34
Monica is a 22-year-old self-identified khwajasara
who lives in Lahore. She was born male, identifies as
a woman, and calls herself gay to express her romantic
and sexual interest in men. She lives in an impoverished
area of Lahore in a rented apartment, away from her
natal family. Unlike most khwajasaras, Monica is
educated – she was a bright student and studied till
matriculation (10th grade board exams). She earns her
living by dancing at parties and through sex work. At
the time of the interview she was not in a romantic
relationship but keenly mentioned her male ex-partner
who she used to love a lot. She did not mention her
monthly income but reported living independently in
a rented house, bearing all her expenses as well as
supporting her family.
As a student, although she was different from her
classmates, she reported that her peers or teachers never
discriminated against her. When she was 15 years old
people around her made her realise that she was either
gay or a khwajasara. She gradually accepted this and came
out to her parents and four siblings. They disregarded her
assertion and went into denial, trying to convince her that
it was abnormal and wrong to be gay. She believes that
this rejection was due to the pressure her close family was
facing from relatives as well as from society at large.
She said, initially, it was very difficult for her to deal
with her family’s attitudes, but eventually she managed. “I
have Jutt35 blood in my veins,” she says, “so it wasn’t easy
to break my spirit.” She reported that in the beginning her
mother and then later her Guru, whom she kept referring
to as “my owner,” were a great support to her.
Monica suffered emotional violence from relatives
and extended family, who cursed her and prayed that
God would damn her. The relatives pressured her
mother to stop Monica from being khwajasara and
resume the “proper” life of a cisgender man. Monica
felt stressed and depressed but she never lost hope
and continued to resist. Eventually her mother started
34 Monica, khwajasara. O Pakistan, Lahore, 2011.
35 Jutt is a caste name and they are culturally believed to be
strong-willed and stubborn.
supporting her, especially after Monica began to earn
money and helped support the family financially.
Monica also experienced a great deal of discrimination
in the public sphere. She cannot travel in buses because
of the gender segregated compartments. “When I enter
the women’s section they say I am not a woman so I
should leave and when I move to men’s section, they
joke and asked me to leave also. So, there’s no space for
me in local buses.” In this situation, she has to commute
via a rickshaw (three wheeler private vehicle), which is
more expensive and a financial burden.
Every visit to a doctor is an ordeal. “I can’t go to any
government hospital because the doctors as well as the
patients think what is this strange thing doing here? I receive
loaded comments, gestures, and at times curses. So, I am
only left with the option of consulting a private doctor or
clinic. [Choosing a private doctor or clinic may mean less
discriminatory treatment.] But it is more expensive.”
Most of her experiences with violence in the public
sphere involved sexual and physical abuse. Monica is ha-
rassed on the street daily, subjected to lewd comments,
derogatory jokes, unwanted touching and grabbing by
strangers. She used to feel afraid, sad and angry about it.
Now, she has accepted it as something she cannot avoid.
Monica reported that she was gang raped by a group of
drunken men during a party for which she was hired
as a dancer. She had gone to the party with her Guru
and other khwajasaras. Monica said no one stopped the
perpetrators, not even her Guru, which was shocking for
Monica. After the rape, she felt helpless, extremely
angry and sad. When she confronted her Guru about
not standing up for her, she was told that it’s quite
normal and usual to get raped by men in such parties.
It took Monica a long time to get over that horrible
experience. She said she developed resentment for her
Guru after the incident. Her fellow khwajasara friends did
extend their emotional support to her. She said, “Now,
I try to protect myself as well as my khwajasara friends,
and if someone tries to rape or molest my friends, I
offer myself to [the people who want to rape my friends]
and ask them to leave [my friends].”
Pakistan: “Where I Can Actually Be Me” 155
 SHAHEEN36
Shaheen is a 40-year-old lesbian who lives in Karachi.
She has been married twice, both times to a man. At
age 35, she entered into a relationship with a woman
and now lives with her partner. She studied till A-levels
(12th/13th grade) and was born and raised Muslim but
no longer practices Islam. She did not want to disclose
her profession but reported herself to be a high profile
individual, earning 100,000 Pakistan rupees a month.
Shaheen self-identifies as a lesbian female. She
came out to her friends, brothers and sisters-in-
law when she entered into the lesbian relationship.
Though her siblings and their wives supported her,
her friends were not as forthcoming with their sup-
port. A gay male friend was annoyed at her coming
out and proposed marriage to her, suggesting that
they have children together so that no one would
know they were gay. Shaheen felt his behavior was
hurtful, but she coped with it. She says a lot of friends
know she is a lesbian, but they don’t talk about it and
ignore it. A few of her friends withdrew from her after
her coming out although she says part of this may be
because she was so wrapped up in her new love that
she did not attend to some of her other friendships.
Shaheen reported physical, emotional, verbal and
sexual violence from non-state perpetrators. When
she was five years old, her brother caught her fool-
ing around with another girl and told her mother. Her
mother threatened to burn Shaheen’s genitals with an
iron. At age six or seven, she was sexually molested
by her best friend’s father. The molestation continued
until she was almost a teenager. The friend whose
father abused Shaheen told Shaheen that she should
be ashamed and feel guilt because she was the one
who compelled her father to do this to her. The abuse
stopped when Shaheen told her mother, who made
sure the perpetrator never came close to her again.
When she turned 12, Shaheen’s movements and
mobility were restricted and monitored. Her family was
very religious and conservative, and Shaheen reported
that all her life she felt an unsaid societal pressure to
36 Shaheen, lesbian. O Pakistan, Karachi, 2011.
156 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
conform to the norm, unable to live her life the way
she wanted.
Her first husband abused and violated her physically,
emotionally and sexually on a daily basis. She was
20 years old at the time. Those experiences were so
painful to recall that she straightforwardly, said, “I
don’t want to go into detail but I have been violated
by him on physical, sexual and emotional level.” However,
she categorically denied that the violence was because
of her sexual orientation and attributed it to his being
a sadistic man.
In July 2011, the US Embassy in Islamabad held
an LGBT pride celebration which was publicised in a
press release on the Embassy’s website.37 The publicity
led to a huge outcry from religious conservatives and
political parties in Pakistan. Shaheen’s name was on
the guest list. She feared it would be released, leaving
her open to violence and rape from conservative religious
protestors. Shaheen finds the situation in Pakistan
untenable in the long run and would like to live
abroad where she can walk down the street holding
her partner’s hand and not worry for her life. Even
though she has friends, brothers and sisters-in-law
who have been supportive, she wants to live her life
the way she always wanted to, openly and without
hiding it from anyone.
37 “US Embassy In Islamabad Accused Of ‘Cultural Terrorism’ For
Holding Gay Rights Event,” Fridae, July 4, 2011, http://www.
fridae.asia/newsfeatures/2011/07/04/10982.us-embassy-in-
islamabad-accused-of-cultural-terrorism-for-hosting-gay-rights-
event. Peter J. Smith, “Pakistanis Denounce US Embassy’s Gay
Rights Party as ‘Cultural Terrorism,” Life Site News, July 26,
2011, http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/pakistanis-denounce-
us-embassys-gay-rights-party-as-cultural-terrorism/.

IMPACT OF VIOLENCE
AND COPING METHODS
Given the harsh policing of gender norms, the
ability to imagine life as a person with non-
conforming sexual orientation, gender identity
or gender expression was severely limited for our
respondents, which contributed to low morale,
depression, and desire to leave the country.
LBT interviewees, particularly lesbians, bisexual
women, gender non-conforming women (butch
lesbians), and transgender men, said that having
their activities, their non-conforming gender
expression and behaviour routinely controlled and
policed by family members created severe mental,
physical and emotional distress. Similar impact was
reported when individuals were ostracised by their
natal families.
In most of the adult rape cases, where respondents
told their families about the sexual violence,
they did not get much support from their family
and had to cope with the trauma on their own.
Many of them said that they internalised the
trauma (blamed themselves, blamed their sexual
orientation or non-conforming gender).
Coping with violence occurred in different ways.
Amber, a khwajasara who had been physically
and sexually assaulted by strangers on the street
as well as police officers, laughed when recounting
her experiences, leading us to conclude that
normalising the violence (downplaying, ignoring
and “accepting” the violence) was a way of
coping. Amber said that the violence, harassment
and public humiliation was “part of the package
of being in this field.”38
Fauzia, a bisexual woman in Lahore who had to
deal with being groped in public places said,
“Obviously it [unwanted touching] was very
offensive and very disturbing. So, I turned around
and hit the person, and lots of people gathered
38 Amber, khwajasara. O Pakistan, Lahore, 2011.
and it was like, couple of times this happened.”39
Ghazala, a bisexual woman, who had experienced
a lot of physical violence from family members,
including child sexual abuse, said that she was
determined to prevent others from being abused
the way she was. “My cousin was going through
the same problem … I sat down with them and
explained them everything in good detail and told
them if they get even the slightest hint of sexual
gestures, they should inform me immediately
… so one cousin shared it with me that he [the
stepfather] tried forcing her as well, [and] I fought
for her in the family.”40
Some of the LBT individuals survived family and
marital violence by creating alternative systems
of support among their friends. In some cases,
they turned to extended family members who
accepted their sexual orientation, gender identity
or gender expression.
... the majority of the respondents ... were trying
to make a life in Pakistan in the face of adversity.
Some of our respondents aspire to leave Pakistan.
Maryam wants to leave the country and go
somewhere where she “can actually be me.”41
Shaheen said that on a trip abroad she was holding
her partner’s hand and playing with her partner’s
hair and “It was perfectly okay. I understand that
it’s not okay everywhere. But it’s not a crime, you
know. I want that.”42
In reality, the majority of the respondents did
not have this option or the opportunity to leave
the country to escape violence and the social
environment. Most were trying to make a life in
Pakistan in the face of adversity.
39 Fauzia, bisexual. O Pakistan, Lahore, 2011.
40 Ghazala, bisexual. O Pakistan, Lahore, 2011.
41 Maryam, lesbian. O Pakistan, Islamabad, 2011.
42 Shaheen, lesbian. O Pakistan, Karachi, 2011.
Pakistan: “Where I Can Actually Be Me” 157

LAWS AFFECTING LBT
PEOPLE
Whoever voluntarily has carnal inter-
course against the order of nature with
any man, woman or animal, shall be
punished with imprisonment for life, or
with imprisonment of either description
for a term which shall not be less than
two years nor more than ten years, and
shall also be liable to fine.43
Section 377 of the Pakistan Penal Code
criminalises “carnal intercourse against the order
of nature,” which the State interprets primarily
as anal sex and bestiality. This law was formed in
British colonial times and mirrors similar laws
in India and Bangladesh, among other former
British colonies.
No legal reform can take hold until the institution
of the family is ready to accept change.
In Pakistan as with most countries that have
similar British colonial laws, Section 377 is never
used against heterosexual people, and instead
disproportionately targets people in same-sex
relationships. Famously, the courts attempted to
use this law against Shumaile Raj and Shahzina
Tariq, a transgender man and cisgender woman
who were married to each other. 44 Because 377
requires proof of penetration, however, the charge
had to be withdrawn. It is, however, rarely used
even against homosexuals and transgender peo-
ple, as cases rarely reach court. Instead, it is an
ever-present ideological and physical threat in the
lives of all LGBT individuals, particularly those
whose livelihood comes from the street, where it
forms part of the arsenal for police harassment of
sex workers and beggars, be they homosexual or
transgender.
43 S ection 377, Pakistan Penal Code, http://www.pakistani.org/
pakistan/legislation/1860/actXLVof1860.html.
44 S arah Suhail. The Medico-Legal Policing of Gender Identity in
Pakistan: A Case Study. Unpublished.
158 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
Through law and legal institutions, the state
regulates gender, enforces heteronormativity,
and gives legal weight to social norms, traditions
and cultural practises that stigmatise and
marginalise same-sex relationships and gender
non-conforming individuals.
Current law includes British colonial legislation
that has been adopted wholesale by Pakistan as
a part of the Pakistan Penal Code. In addition
to 377, there is Section 294, which regulates
“obscene dance and songs”, and Section 295, an
anti-blasphemy law, both of which make LBT
people vulnerable to police abuses; Section 295
provides opportunity for community violence
(such as individual vigilante attacks or mob
violence) in the name of religion. In the 1980s,
under then President Zia-ul-Haq’s campaign of
Islamization, further criminal offences were put
in place, in addition to discriminatory colonial
laws called the Hudood ordinances.45 Among
the provisions of the Hudood Ordinance was the
requirement of four witnesses to a rape, without
which the victim of rape could be convicted of
fornication and jailed.46 In 2006, the Hudood
Ordinance was amended (see below Women’s
Protection Bill).
All of these laws help to legitimise the use of
religious rhetoric to justify abuse and discrim-
ination by the Pakistani state. This is further
reflected in the Objectives Resolution47 and
the incorporation of Article 22748 of the
45 http://www.pakistani.org/pakistan/legislation/hudood.html
46 T he Offense of Zina (Enforcement of Hudood) Ordinance,
1979. http://www.pakistani.org/pakistan/legislation/
zia_po_1979/ord7_1979.html Retrieved January 28, 2013. The
Protection of Women (Criminal Laws Amendment) Act, 2006,
47 The Objectives Resolution, annexed to the Constitution, begins,
“Whereas sovereignty over the entire universe belongs to Allah
Almighty alone and the authority which He has delegated to
the State of Pakistan, through its people for being exercised
within the limits prescribed by Him is a sacred trust.” That
is to say, the Objectives Resolution declares Allah sovereign
of Pakistan.” http://www.pakistani.org/pakistan/constitution/
annex_objres.html
48 Article 227(1), The Constitution of the Islamic Republic of
Pakistan. “All existing laws shall be brought in conformity with the
constitution, which stipulates that all law must
be brought in conformity with the Qur’an and RECOMMENDATIONS
Sunnah (practices of the Prophet Muhammad).
It is evident from our interviews that LBT people
in Pakistan are caught in a complex situation
The Women’s Protection Bill was instituted
that depends on many factors. The government
in 2006 amending the Hudood Ordinance in a
of Pakistan does not provide many positive and
number of ways: firstly it took out Zina-bil-jabr
protective laws, and our respondents do not see
(rape as a hadd offence that garnered the highest
state institutions as a source of current or future
possible punishment) and placed it within the
support. Even though some respondents suggest
purview of the Pakistan Penal Code as the
that laws should be put in place to protect LBT
offence of rape. Secondly, any complaint regarding
people, most do not believe that the state will do
rape could not be converted to a charge of forni-
anything at all to help them.
cation under the new law. Thirdly, a number
of other offences like kidnapping, abducting
In many countries and for many movements, an
or inducing women for marriage, kidnapping
appeal to the legislators is usually the first step
or abducting for purposes of rape, and selling
to bringing about positive change. In Pakistan,
people for the purposes of prostitution, were
however, this is not necessarily the case and in fact
moved into the Penal code. These changes gave
might prove detrimental. There is very little unity
judges the authority to try cases under criminal
or even visibility among LGBT groups, or among
rather than Islamic law.  
LGBT individuals of different class backgrounds
and regions of Pakistan. Thus, there is no con-
In 2010, The Protection Against Harassment
solidated movement for the protection of LGBT
of Women at the Workplace Act was signed
rights and no strong base of people coming
into law. This legislation put in place a complaints
together to call for public discussion on LGBT
mechanism for sexual harassment in the workplace.
rights or withstanding the backlash. Lesbians and
The mechanism has not been tested for sexual
bisexual women are also scattered far and wide,
harassment on the grounds of sexual orientation,
and often hide even from each other.
gender identity or gender expression. To do
so would likely incur greater harassment and
In the case of khwajasaras, headway has been
recriminations for people who are already at risk
made with the Supreme Court’s support of a
legally and socially for being non-conforming.
petition brought by khwajasara activists. However,
khwajasaras we talked to recommended strongly
Because by and large the state fails to protect
that the government should take legislative
the rights of LBT individuals who have been
measures to protect khwajasaras in Pakistan from
subject to violence or discrimination, the
discrimination and violence so they can have the
family becomes the only institution to which
full human rights to which they are entitled.
individuals must turn time and again in times
of need. However, the family is unregulated
No cases have been brought to the courts regarding
and often holds almost absolute control over
lesbians or bisexual women, so legally speaking,
the individual. There are no state institutions,
the rights of lesbian and bisexual women have not
such as LBT-friendly shelters, which could
been tested in the courts. They are not yet in the
support an LBT individual if he/she chose to
official notice of the courts or the legislature.
break away from his or her family of origin.

Injunctions of Islam as laid down in the Holy Quran and Sunnah,

in this Part referred to as the Injunctions of Islam, and no law
shall be enacted which is repugnant to such Injunctions.” http://
www.pakistani.org/pakistan/constitution/part9.html.

Pakistan: “Where I Can Actually Be Me” 159

Our first recommendation, then, is for mainstream human rights and women’s rights groups to extend
support to local movements in any way that the local movement needs. This would mean different things
for the different communities who make up the LBT population and would require a separate investigation into
what each group needs. Civil society organizations that work on issues of sexuality require LBT-sensitive support.
Extending such support to these organizations would go a long way in supporting the movement for LBT rights.

Secondly, we recommend that concerned funders and international human rights organizations
support, facilitate, participate in, and provide fora for LBT people to come together and organise support
for LBT issues and rights. The main focus of these fora should be consolidating LBT activism at the grassroots
level so that the communities can come together and decide for themselves what the next steps will be.

Thirdly, given levels of physical and sexual violence, we recommend that LBT and gay men’s groups
liaise with women’s and queer organizations to set up hotlines and safe houses for LBT people who might
need them when they are experiencing violence.

Fourthly, we recommend training and education programs for existing women’s shelters to sensitise
them about the needs of lesbians and bisexual women, and foster greater tolerance among the residents and
management of such shelters to the needs of lesbians and bisexual women. Furthermore, women’s rights and
human rights organizations in general should be aware of the issues that LBT people face and educate them-
selves about the aspirations and difficulties of non-heteronomative people.

Finally, we believe that the only way lasting change will come to Pakistani society is through Pakistanis
themselves, and in our context, this means through the institution of the family. No legal reform can take
hold until the institution of the family is ready to accept change. It is through the family that society at large
must be sensitised about needs of LBT people. We recommend that Pakistani LBT activists, human rights
defenders and allies foster long-term contact with organizations that work with families in order to slowly
sensitise the organizations and the families they work with – providing leadership and intervening in the
family structure to bring about changes in how LBT people are treated by their families.

APPENDIX A: Joint family home – a residence in which multiple

GLOSSARY OF TERMS
Chela – the disciples of a Guru.
Dera – the home of the Guru in which all or
most of her chelas will live with her.
Extended family – uncles, aunts and cousins
from either or both sides of the family.
Guru – the head of the khwajasara family. All the
khwajasaras under her are her disciples and are
often referred to as her daughters as well.
generations of a family live.
Khwajasara – a transgender person who may
have been born male-bodied or, occasionally,
intersex, but identifies as a woman or with feminine
traits and joins the traditional community of the
khwajasaras. Khwajasaras (also known as Hijras)
have been a part of South Asian society for about
400 years. There are usually two types of khawajsaras
in Pakistan, one castrated and one not. The latter
group refer to themselves as zananas.
Toli – begging for money in exchange for blessings
and prayers. One of the traditional activities of
khawjasara communities.

160 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
PHILIPPINES
KWENTONG BEBOT
Lived Experiences of Lesbians, Bisexual
and Transgender Women in the Philippines

RAINBOW RIGHTS PROJECT

CONTE NTS

INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................................................167
INTERVIEWEE DEMOGRAPHICS ...........................................................................................................168
COUNTRY CONTEXT.....................................................................................................................................................................169
MANIFESTATIONS OF VIOLENCE .......................................................................................................... 174
Physical Violence........................................................................................................................................ 174
Verbal and Emotional Violence...............................................................................................................175
Violence in the Name of Religion...........................................................................................................176
Violence in Schools....................................................................................................................................177
Sexual Violence ..........................................................................................................................................177
MANIFESTATIONS OF DISCRIMINATION............................................................................................. 179
Discrimination in Schools.........................................................................................................................179
Discrimination in the Workplace ............................................................................................................179
Discrimination in Healthcare and Service Institutions........................................................................180
Restricted Access to Public Facilities.......................................................................................................180
State Discrimination ..................................................................................................................................182
IMPACT OF VIOLENCE AND DISCRIMINATION .................................................................................182
PHILIPPINES LAWS AND LBT PEOPLE..................................................................................................186
Legal Protections for LBT People............................................................................................................188
Stakeholder Responses ............................................................................................................................188
RECOMMENDATIONS..............................................................................................................................190
APPENDIX A: GLOSSARY OF TERMS....................................................................................................... 191
APPENDIX B: METHODOLOGY.............................................................................................................192
166 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
 There is an oft-repeated belief among people
outside of the Philippines2 that the country enjoys
a high level of acceptance of lesbian, gay, bisexual
and transgender (LGBT) people, a conclusion
that University of the Philippines Professor, Neil
Garcia, says is “sadly misinformed.”3

A study4 analyzing data from the 2002 Young

Adults Fertility and Sexuality Survey (YAFS3),
which involved around 19,000 young adults aged
15-27, suggests an explanation for the impression
that being LGBT is accepted in the Philippines.
According to the YAFS3 study, more than half of the
respondents expressed “homosexual acceptance” but
only 13.5% approved of both the person and the
INTRODUCTION homosexual acts, meaning more than half agreed
that people had the right to be homosexual even if
The International Gay and Lesbian most of them disapproved of people having same
sex relations. This seemingly contradictory finding
Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC)
of the YAFS3 may be explained by the fact that
implemented a five-country research although the majority of Filipinos are baptized
Roman Catholics, and while the Vatican itself does
and documentation project on violence
not condone the social acceptance of homosexuality
and discrimination against LBT people.1 and same-sex relationships,5 there is a more
tolerant attitude towards and a greater level of
IGLHRC worked with the Rainbow
acceptance of LGBT people among Filipino families
Rights Project, the country team for and within local-level government institutions.
the Philippines. This report offers
In addition, the State does not gather such data,
preliminary insights based on the which results in LGBT human rights issues being
excluded in policy-making. This was borne out by
available research into how cultural
our research where the lesbians, bisexual women
contexts influence state policy towards and transgender (LBT) women6 we interviewed
LBT women.
2 “LGBT Culture in the Philippines,” Wikipedia, accessed on
February 16, 2013, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_culture_
in_the_Philippines.

3 Neil Garcia, “Male Homosexuality in the Philippines: a short

history,” International Institute for Asian Studies Newsletter,
accessed on February 16, 2013, http://www.iias.nl/nl/35/
IIAS_NL35_13.pdf,

4 Christian Joy Cruz and Russel Brian Mallari, “Revisiting Social

Acceptance of Homosexuality Among Filipino Youth: Some
Theoretical and Methodological Implications,” Philippine
Population Review (2007): 46, 67-68.

5 “Homosexuality,” Catholic Answers website, accessed February

1 The four other countries (and country-specific organizations)
13, 2013, http://www.catholic.com/tracts/homosexuality.
involved in this project are: Japan (Gay Japan News); Malaysia
(KRYSS); Sri Lanka (Women’s Support Group); and Pakistan (O). 6 Transgender men were not part of the Philippines study. See

Philippines: Kwentong Bebot 167

testified to a significant level of institutional
invisibility and devaluation. They reported that
their attempts to lodge complaints and seek
redress for violence and discrimination have often
been hindered by a lack of understanding and
acceptance among authorities, particularly at
the lower end of the justice system, (such as law
enforcers) which also reflects the lack of available
substantive data on levels of discrimination and
violence based on sexual orientation, gender iden-
tity and gender expression.
INTERVIEWEE
DEMOGRAPHICS
The Rainbow Rights Project Philippines con-
ducted data-gathering interviews with LBT
women from March 2011 to February 2012.
As well as taking into account ethical consider-
ations, a key component of data collection was
ensuring both balanced demographic represen-
tation of LBT women and geographical repre-
sentation from the three main island groups in
the Philippines: Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.
The majority of the 59 interviews involved
transgender women (58%), followed by lesbians
(29%) and bisexual women (9%). Easy access to
the network of transgender women combined
with their receptiveness to the call for interviews
led to more transgender women being inter-
viewed. A maximum number of interviews per
group were not set, which might have affected
the final distribution of the interviews. The small
proportion of interviews with bisexual women
can perhaps be attributed to them being less
visible in the Philippines. In relation to geo-
graphic representation, 59% of the LBT individ-
uals interviewed came from Luzon, 34% from
the Visayas, and 7% from Mindanao, the latter
having less representation due to geographic and
financial constraints.
explanation in demographics section of this chapter.
168 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
Three interviews were excluded from the overall
LBT pool – one with a transgender male, one
with a person who identified as male, and an
interview conducted with a group of three lesbians.
These interviews did not comply with the param-
eters of our study. In addition, the Philippines
country team did not want to offend the sensi-
bilities of transgender males, hence the interview
with the transgender man was conducted but
not included in the analysis of data from the
pool of women-identified respondents. A group
interview conducted with three lesbians from
Mindanao was subsequently not included in this
report. Interviews were also held with a range of
relevant stakeholders in order to identify
1. Service level and interventions for LBT
women
2. Prevalent attitudes and knowledge level on
relevant LBT women’s issues
3. Existing laws and policies related to sexual
orientation, gender identity and gender
expression.
PHILIPPINES
LOCATIONS OF LBT INDIVIDUALS INTERVIEWED
LUZON
Manila
SOUTH
CHINA PHILIPPINE
SEA
SEA
VISAYAS
MINDANAO
SULU
SEA
MALAYSIA
A
CELEBES SEA
INDONESIA
SIA
A 150 km
A balanced approach was taken in these inter-
views to ensure a fair representation of stakehold-
ers from different sectors, including civil society,
government agencies, and medical and health pro-
viders from throughout the three island groups.
More than 25% of the 46 stakeholder interviews
involved representatives from civil society, which
included LGBT organizations, women groups,
human rights NGOs and reproductive health
advocates; 15% involved State sector representa-
tives, including those from the legislative branch,
national government agencies, human rights
organizations and the state university. Medical
and health providers comprised almost 20% of
the stakeholders interviewed and included psychi-
atrists, doctors, nurses and guidance counselors.
About 39% of the stakeholders interviewed were
drawn from a miscellaneous group that included
educators, religious leaders, employers and people
working in the media.
COUNTRY CONTEXT
The Philippines is a vibrant and culturally diverse
archipelago comprised of 7,107 islands that are
home to 92 million people with more than 170
languages. The nation derives its names from King
Philip II of Spain, having been declared a Spanish
colony – “Las Islas Filipinas” – in the mid-16th
century. Spanish rule lasted for 333 years until
Filipinos waged a revolution for national inde-
pendence in 1898. The United States colonized
the islands during the Spanish-American War and
after a war between the new native government
and the US. 
In 1935, the US granted the Philippines the status
of self-governing commonwealth, which stood for
seven years until 1942 during the Second World
War when the nation fell under Japanese control.
The US granted the Philippines full independence
in 1946.
As a multiparty, constitutional republic, the
Philippines became a model of democracy in Asia,
experiencing a relatively peaceful transition through
successive presidents. In 1965 Ferdinand Marcos was
elected President and served two constitutionally
mandated terms in office. In 1972, barred from
seeking a third term, he declared martial law and
enacted a new constitution that enabled him to
stay in power indefinitely, heralding the dawn of
an era of political persecutions, repression and
myriad human rights violations. In the People
Power Revolution of 1986, civil resistance to his
rule succeeded in ousting him from power.
A second People Power Revolution in 2001
replaced President Joseph Estrada with his
Vice-President, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Her
nine years in office was dogged by claims of graft,
corruption and human rights violations. In 2011
she was charged with crimes, including electoral
sabotage, for which she still awaits trial at the time
of writing. Current President Benigno Aquino
III came to power in 2010 with a campaign
pledge of upholding of human rights. However,
to date, the impunity of security forces persists,
as do extrajudicial killings, torture and abuse by
security forces, disappearances, warrantless arrests,
violence against women, the abuse and sexual
exploitation of children, child labor and traffick-
ing in persons.7 Discrimination, violence and
hate crimes targeting LGBT people are widely
reported, and are exacerbated by the absence of
relevant legal protections and means of redress.8
The Philippines has both signed and ratified9 a
number of United Nations (UN) human rights
covenants, treaties and optional protocols, many
of which have been integrated into national and
municipal laws. These conventions include the
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
7 “2011 Human Rights reports: Philippines,” US Department of
State, accessed February 12, 2012, http://www.state.gov/j/drl/
rls/hrrpt/2011/eap/186301.htm.
8 “The Status of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Rights
in the Philippines Submission to the Human Rights Council for
Universal Periodic Review 13th Session,” Rainbow Rights Project
Inc. and Philippine LGBT Hate Crime Watch, accessed February 12,
2013, http://lib.ohchr.org/HRBodies/UPR/Documents/session13/
PH/JS1_UPR_PHL_S13_2012_JointSubmission1_E.pdf.
9 “Report Status by Country,” UN Treaty Body Database,
accessed October 30, 2012, http://www.unhchr.ch/tbs/doc.nsf/
NewhvVAllSPRByCountry?OpenView.
Philippines: Kwentong Bebot 169
Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).10 The
government has established institutions to deal with
human rights, and is claiming to base its program-
ming, budgeting, and planning on human rights.11
However, civil society organizations (CSOs)
maintain that while the State is diligently submit-
ting glowing reports to international bodies on
the Philippines’ compliance with human rights
standards, it is actively covering up the persistence
of human rights violations.12 The government
boasts of a robust structural framework of hu-
man rights mechanisms, including13 monitoring
and complaints mechanisms, inter-agency task
forces, engagement with civil society via human
rights desks, and the implementation of preven-
tive policies in response to the reports of human
rights violations filed during the administration
of President Arroyo.14 However, CSOs have noted
that this is merely window dressing and that the
government does not provide adequate human
rights protections.15 Several factors complicate the
general human rights situation in the Philippines.
The State is waging a counter-insurgency war
against the Maoist New People’s Army and armed
10 “ Magna Carta of Women – a victory for women’s human
rights advocates,” CEDAW in Action – Southeast Asia, accessed
October 30, 2012, http://cedaw-seasia.org/philippines_action_
MagnaCarta.html.
11 C ommission on Human Rights of the Philippines website,
accessed October 30, 2012, http://www.chr.gov.ph/MAIN%20
PAGES/about%20hr/ advisories/pdf_files/abthr036.pdf
12 “ Less killings, but government not doing enough — Karapatan,”
The PCIJ Blog (blog), http://pcij.org/blog/2007/12/10/less-
killings-but-government-not-doing-enough-karapatan.
13 List of Philippines UN human rights body communications, Office
of the High Commissioner for Human Rights website, accessed
October 30, 2012, http://tb.ohchr.org/default.aspx?country=ph.
14 “ Human Rights in the Philippines: Government Response,”
Hurights Osaka, October 2012, http://www.hurights.or.jp/
archives/focus/section2/2010/03/human-rights-in-the-
philippines-government-response.html#note03.
15 “ Ramento Project for Rights Defenders,” Office of the High
Commissioner for Human Rights website, accessed on October
30, 2012, http://lib.ohchr.org/HRBodies/UPR/Documents/
session13/PH/RPRD_UPR _PHL_S13_2012_RamentoProject
forRightsDefenders_E.pdf.
170 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
fundamentalist groups.16 These military opera-
tions form the backdrop to many human rights
violations against legal organizations perceived
to be fronts for armed opposition movements.17
Economic policies favor substantial investments
in mining, biofuel farms, and real estate, thereby
contributing to forced dispossession of land and
extrajudicial killings particularly in rural areas.18
The pervasive and repressive religious environ-
ment and Roman Catholic majority in the Philip-
pines ... often disenfranchises already vulnerable
sectors of the population, including LGBT people.
In 2012 the reported death toll of environmental
activists totaled 15.19 Gender equality is enshrined in
the Constitution and forms the basis of legislation
and national development plans.20 The Philippines
scores relatively high on global gender equality indi-
ces and ranks eighth overall in the World Economic
Forum’s 2012 Global Gender Gap Report, which
posits the Philippines as the leading country for
gender equality in the Asia region.21 However, such
indices mask the persistence of discrimination and
inequality that women in the Philippines continue
to suffer in most aspects of their lives.
16 “ World Report 2012: Philippines,” Human Rights Watch,
accessed February 13, 2013, http://www.hrw.org/world-
report-2012/world-report-2012-philippines.
17 “ Scared Silent,” Human Rights Watch, June 28, 2007, accessed
on October 30, 2012, http://www.hrw.org/node/10922/section/2.
18 “ Groups blame Xstrata-SMI: ‘Their blood are in your hands!’”
Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates website,
October 25, 2012, accessed October 30, 2012, http://www.
philippinehumanrights.org/news/statements/ 236-groups-
blame-xstrata-smi-their-blood-are-in-your-hands.
19 R V Olea, “Philippines: Farmers, anti-mining activists killed
before Human Rights Day,” 2012, accessed February 13,
2013, http://climate-connections.org/2012/12/10/farmers-anti-
mining-activists-killed-before-human-rights-day/.
20 “ The Philippines,” UN Women, accessed February 13, 2013,
http://www.unwomen-eseasia.org/docs/factsheets/07%20
PHILIPPINES%20factsheet.pdf.
21 “ The Global Gender Gap Report,” World Economic Forum,
2012, accessed February13 2013, http://www.weforum.org/
reports/global-gender-gap-report-2012.
According to the United Nations Entity for Gender that they act “manly,” do not cross dress, and do
Equality and the Empowerment of Women, (UN not discuss homosexuality.26 Transgender male-to-
Women) violence against women in the Philippines female (MTF) women are required to be in male
is high, attributed to deeply entrenched patriarchal clothing during duty hours. No public statement
attitudes and power imbalances within the family. is made about lesbian women in military service
The International Labor Organization reports that or training who prefer male clothing.
most women in the Philippines remain marginalized
and disadvantaged in relation to employment.22 The
Philippines is also a source country for trafficking
STATE ACTIONS
in persons, with women subjected to sex trafficking,
forced labor and involuntary servitude.23 In 2013 the [Philippines] government did
not join discussions on and chose to abstain
Although a professed secular state, the pervasive from voting in support of a UN declaration
and repressive religious environment and Roman calling for an end to extrajudicial killings
Catholic majority in the Philippines continue to based on sexual orientation.
hinder the progressive advancement of women’s
rights and negatively compound women’s strug-
A sampling of recent events illustrates the Philip-
gles in the country. Laws tend to closely adhere to
pine State’s uneven approach to the rights of LBT
a socially conservative agenda that mirrors Vatican
women. For the past 20 years, citizens have generally
policy, which often disenfranchises already vulner-
been free to organize groups and events aimed at
able sectors of the population, including LGBT
discussing, defending, and promoting LGBT rights
people. This is reflected in the current lack of leg-
with little fear of repression or restrictions from the
islation providing protection on the basis of sexual
state. Cases of marked discrimination are rare at the
orientation, gender identity or gender expression.
state level but they can be controversial. The political
The Philippines is one of only two countries left
party Ang Ladlad – a party comprised of and work-
in the world that does not allow divorce.24
ing for LGBT people formed in 2003 (then known
as AngLunduyan) – was initially disqualified by the
Consensual homosexual relations, homosexuality,
Philippine Commission on Elections (COMELEC)
and transgenderism are not illegal in the Philip-
in 2010 on the basis of moral grounds. At that time,
pines.25 However, major government agencies,
a commissioner labeled LGBT people as “immoral.”
such as the military and public schools, are yet
COMELEC issued a statement in which it said that
to formally articulate specific affirmative policies.
if accredited, the party would become a threat to
For instance, gay men are allowed to serve in the
youth, and would contravene the religious teachings
military and teach in schools, on the condition
of the Catholic church.27

However, in a landmark decision that same year,

22 “ Gender Equality in the Philippines,” International Labor the Supreme Court reversed the decision and al-
Organization, accessed February13, 2013, http://www.ilo.org/
lowed the party to contest elections. The decision
wcmsp5/groups/public/---asia/---ro-bangkok/---ilo-manila/
documents/publication/wcms_173283.pdf.
was handed down amid a surge of support from
the public and from the human rights community
23 “ The Philippines,” UN Women, accessed February 13, 2013,
http://www.unwomen-eseasia.org/docs/factsheets/07%20
PHILIPPINES%20factsheet.pdf.
26 “ Philippine Military Academy says gays and lesbians are welcome,
24 C Derichs and A Fleschenberg, eds., Religious Fundamentalisms but cross-dressing isn’t,” The Feed, July 11, 2012, accessed October
and Their Gendered Impacts (2010), 25-26, accessed February 30, 2012, http://www.spot.ph/newsfeatures/51485/pma-bans-
13, 2013, http://library.fes.de/pdf-files/iez/07061.pdf. cross-dressing-for-gay-and-lesbian-cadets.

25 “ Philippines Country Survey,” International Lesbian, Gay 27 P K Pascual, “Ladlad, Nine Years of Fighting for LGBT Rights,”
Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association, accessed October 30, accessed February 13, 2013, http://ladladpartylist.blogspot.
2012, http://ilga.org/ilga/en/countries/PHILIPPINES/Law. com/search/label/Ladlad%20general.

Philippines: Kwentong Bebot 171

on the issue of equal protection under the law.28
In 2012, the Supreme Court launched a pilot
program to train trial judges on SOGIE (sex-
ual orientation, gender identity and gender
expression) issues,29 employing leaders from
local LGBT legal-advocacy organizations. The
long-term effect of this training in producing
favorable changes in the judicial treatment of
SOGIE issues will, however, not be evident for
the next few years.
At present, neither pro-gay nor anti-gay political
camps have been able to have their respective
agendas formalized in government policy. The
proposed Anti-Racial, Ethnic and Anti-Religious
Discrimination Act of 2011 has yet to be passed,
with some senators objecting to the inclusion
of sexual orientation and gender identity in the
bill.30 Anti-gay advocates, on the other hand,
have to date been unsuccessful in legislating
against same-sex marriage, and indeed have gen-
erated little widespread attention when picketing
gay Pride events.31
The state’s negligence in upholding the human
rights of and providing protections for LGBT
people is reflected in the passive stance that the
Philippines has adopted on SOGIE issues in
the United Nations. Despite pressure from civil
society activists within the Philippines, in 2013
the government did not join discussions on and
28 SC Jay Rempillo, “Ang Ladlad is Qualified Party-List
Candidate” (April 2010), accessed October 29, 2012, http://
sc.judiciary.gov.ph/publications/benchmark/2010/04/041003.
php (page discontinued)
29 “Gov’t institutes for judges to develop LGBT knowledge,”
Outrage, accessed February 13, 2013, http://outragemag.
com/online/govt-institute-for-judges-to-develop-lgbt-
knowledge/.
30 IAR Silverio, “Anti-discrimination bill faces rough sailing
in Senate,” Bulatlat.com, 2012, accessed February 13, 2013,
http://bulatlat.com/main/2012/08/30/anti-discrimination-
bill-faces-rough-sailing-in-senate/.
31 Laurindo Garcia, “Manila beams with pride, despite
debut of anti-gay protesters,” Fridae, December 8, 2008,
accessed October 29, 2012, http://www.fridae.asia/
newsfeatures/2008/12/08/2168.manila-beams-with-pride-
despite-debut-of-anti-gay-protesters.
172 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
chose to abstain from voting in support of a UN
declaration calling for an end to extrajudicial
killings based on sexual orientation.32 Previously
the Philippines also abstained from voting on a
landmark resolution in the UN Human Rights
Council in 2011 that affirmed the universality of
human rights, condemned violence and discrim-
ination on the basis of sexual orientation, and
requested the High Commissioner for Human
Rights to prepare a global study on violence and
discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation
and gender identity. To date, President Aquino
has not made a definitive policy declaration on
SOGIE-related rights, instead making token
references to LGBT people, such as in a media
interview conducted during an official state visit
to Washington, DC in 2011 in which he stated
that adults “should be able to do whatever you
want as long as you don’t harm anybody else.”33
While negligence characterizes national-level
response to SOGIE-related issues, some state
agencies and local-level governments have
implemented policies aimed at formalizing
protections for LGBT people. The Philippine
Commission for Human Rights (CHR), the
nation’s independent human rights institution,
and its counterpart in the presidential palace,
the Presidential Human Rights Committee
(PHRC), have undertaken a range of projects in
collaboration with LGBT CSOs with the aim of
mainstreaming human rights for LGBT people
within the broader human rights agenda. Local
anti-discrimination ordinances are now in place
in Quezon City, Cebu City and Davao City,
and will soon be enacted in Bacolod City. In
addition, the Civil Service Commission issued
a memo on the inclusion of SOGIE in govern-
ment eligibility examination requirements.
32 Zamboanga Journal, “Defend gay rights in UN statement,
PROGAY tells Manila, Zamboanga Journal, accessed February
13, 2013, http://zamboangajournal.blogspot.com/2011/02/
defend-gay-rights-in-un-statement.html.
33 “PNoy sympathizes on gay rights, not gay adoption,” Agence
France-Presse, September 21, 2011, accessed October 29,
2012, http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/09/21/11/pnoy-
sympathizes-gay-rights-not-gay-adoption.
 JELAY
31-year-old Jelay (pseudonym) was born a biolog-
ical male in Zamboanga del Norte, a province in the
southern Philippines. Her parents are from Iloilo in the
Visayas. She did not finish her Bachelor of Science in
Architecture degree and now works on a commission
basis as a beautician in a salon.
She became aware of her identity as a woman when
she was in the Second Grade – the same time that she
started to make friends exclusively with girls. She also started
to have boy crushes at that time. She always joined dances
and liked rifling through her mother’s clothes when she was
away. One time she was caught wearing her mother’s dress
and her parents scolded her. She started gaining her par-
ents’ acceptance when she did well in school and began to
get on the school honor roll. When she was growing up, her
siblings accepted her for who she was.
Jelay was born Catholic but recently converted to
the Baptist religion. As a Catholic, she had no problems
when she wore feminine clothes, but when she became
a Baptist they made her change her way of dressing. She
confronted the church pastor and told him she could
not do it because this was the way she was. From then
on the pastor allowed her to dress according to her pre-
ferred gender and be who she really was in church. Jelay
believes that in the eyes of God, we are all equal.
Growing up, Jelay was always taunted for being
bakla or bayot (effeminate) by random people on the
streets, both males or females and kids and adults alike.
When she went to get a police clearance, the police
laughed at her and said she had “no use in society” be-
cause she was bakla. Six men physically assaulted her
when she tried to defend a friend who was being ha-
rassed and cursed. She was stripped and beaten, but de-
spite being outnumbered, she put up a good fight. She
suffered facial injuries and broken ribs. The six men were
arrested and detained by village officers. Jelay tried to file
a legal complaint against them but decided to withdraw
the case because the village officers were mishandling
the procedures.
Her sexual “awakening” happened when she was
in second grade, when she was about eight years old.
On the night it happened, her 20-year-old uncle carried
her into his room and forcefully asked her to suck his
penis because he said she was bakla. She had no idea
about such things at that time. He forced himself on
her; she was helpless and he was stronger than her.
She was crying when her mother came home, there
was blood splattered all over. Jelay was lying there with
her anus torn and with some internal organs extruding.
She was taken to the hospital and received stitches for
her wounds. She also had to undergo a medico-legal
examination. She heard her mother, uncle and his wife
arguing. She heard them say that she was bakla and
that she had probably flirted and asked for this to hap-
pen. She felt undignified after this.
Jelay’s case was brought to court. There were two
court hearings. They asked her to take the witness stand
and tell the court the details about what happened. At
just eight years of age, she was frightened and nervous.
She could hear some people blaming her; they said she
was bakla and that she had flirted with her uncle and
provided the motive for him to force himself upon her.
Even the judge questioned her integrity. Because of her
age, her lawyer was able to defend her successfully. Her
uncle was found guilty and was imprisoned.
For Jelay, the past often comes back to haunt her.
She believes that sometimes a person cannot move on
in the present without the past.
Philippines: Kwentong Bebot 173

MANIFESTATIONS OF
VIOLENCE
Throughout our interviews we found reports of a
range of violence including physical, verbal and
emotional violence.
Physical Violence
Most of those interviewed said family members
within a nuclear family unit, predominantly male
members of family or clan, including fathers,
brothers, uncles and stepfathers, had inflicted most
of the physical violence. Most incidents of violence
occurred immediately after a person voluntarily
disclosed her sexual orientation and/or gender
identity, was “outed,” (a person’s sexual orientation
or gender identity is revealed without the person’s
knowledge or permission), or was suspected of
being non-heteronormative. Heteronormative
refers to the notion that there are only two genders,
male or female, and that the only kind of attraction
is heterosexual, which is between people of the
opposite sex, i.e., between those who were assigned
male and those who were assigned female sex at
birth. Anyone who lives outside these parameters is
considered non-heteronormative.
Many of the respondents reported being raped
within their families ... [and] sexually
abused by uncles during childhood and in
pre-pubescence.
Vanessa, a transgender woman, recalled growing
up in Dumaguete and being bullied and roughed
up by her brothers. She said:
My friends dragged me to a dance party
... I managed to borrow a dress and wig.
Then my friend suddenly warned me that
my brother saw me. [My brother] boxed
me, my wig fell, I ran away.
Some transgender women said that their mothers,
aunts or other female relatives, upon learning of
their sexual orientation and/or gender identity/
174 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
expression, had subjected them to violence.
Madeline, a transgender woman, said:
I was four ... that was the time I remem-
ber that I’m really different because my
mom slapped me when I wore her bra.
According to many respondents, perpetrators
often used violence as punishment for their sexual
orientation, gender identity or gender expression.
Kel, a lesbian, said:
My uncle, he asked me directly like, ‘Are
you a tomboy acting like that?’ I an-
swered, ‘Yeah.’ He slapped me, so he said,
‘Why, why so?’ … He said, ‘Have you
had a boyfriend?’ And I said, ‘Yeah.’ ‘So
why a girl?’ And I said, ‘I don’t know.’
In some instances, heterosexual males with whom
victims shared a public space, such as on a street
curb or at a dance party, inflicted violence in what
were largely crimes of opportunity, often commit-
ting assault when their victims were vulnerable.
This form of violence generally took the form of
punching, slapping and the use of blunt objects.
Transgender woman Alyssa and another trans-
gender woman were on the street, walking when
a man crossed their path and said: “You transsex-
ual/ homosexual people are bad!” The man then
hit Alyssa on the back of her head, and the pair
fled in fear. Agnes, a 26-year-old lesbian, was also
threatened with violence by a stranger. She was in
a taxi with her girlfriend when:
… out of the blue, I have no idea whether
this male person is crazy or what. The guy
pointed a laser light, the red one, at us. It
was very painful, particularly on the eyes
… he was standing outside the taxi on the
side of the road. … Then he made a sign
like this … like he will cut off your head.
Several interviewees reported being subjected
to violence that involved the use of firearms or
other weapons. Transgender woman Vanessa from
Dumaguete encountered bullies who felt offended
seeing her in a dress. She said:
 He beat me up and cut my hair while
insulting me… I was almost gunned
down… I managed to push my attackers,
and I ran away naked. I ran in a zigzag so
I dodged the bullets.
A number of the LBT respondents recalled
incidences of violence in which the perpetrators,
while not directly referring to their sexual ori-
entation, gender identity or gender expression,
appeared to exhibit bias as a motivation for their
attacks. Lei, a transgender woman said:
… the security guard [at the clinic] was
discourteous… You’re not supposed
to do that, I said. And he reacted, ‘Is
that so?’ Pak! He … hit [me] with
the nightstick… They want me to use
another line (a line for men), but I’m a
woman, so what’s your problem? I had
an appointment there, and he blocked
my way… He was violent.
Predominantly male members of family or
clan ... had inflicted most of the physical
violence ... perpetrators often used violence
as punishment for [non-conforming] sexual
orientation, gender identity or gender
expression.
Many attacks were sudden and unanticipated,
which left victims ill-prepared to defend them-
selves. Jason, a transgender woman, said that he
became used to being singled out and attacked:
When people get drunk, they goad the
bakla34 with insults, then people start a
brawl. So we band together and fight. In
the end, the bakla lose to the guys. Without
warning, they would slap a bakla. That
starts the brawl.
34 B akla is a Tagalog word that conflates a wide spectrum of
SOGIE concepts that include male homosexuality, MTF
transgenderism, and transvestism. Bayot is its equivalent in
the Visayas and Mindanao island groups. Refer to Terminology
section for further explanation.
Verbal and Emotional Violence
Respondents reported that emotional violence
largely came from family members, significant
others or ex-partners, co-workers, and strangers.
This form of violence primarily involved criticism
or rejection of actual or perceived sexual orientation,
gender identity or gender expression or the choice
of partner. Respondents said that they were taunted
or ordered to change their sexuality or gender
expression, for instance, by modifying their manner
of clothing and demeanor.
Stef, a transgender respondent:
My father asked, ‘Why do you look
this way?’ My hair is long, my eyebrows
plucked. I was in pink again. ‘Can’t you
be more masculine?’ He said even if bakla,
he’d want me to be more discreet. I could
have shorter hair… It’s so sad my own
father does not accept me although he
says, ‘I love you, you are my child.’ But I
still do not feel the acceptance.
Grace, a lesbian respondent:
My mother said, ‘If I ever learned that
you have a relationship with a lesbian, I
will kill you.’
Sometimes, family members communicated their
discomfort about having LBT children through
innuendos and jokes. Other times, the hostility
was overtly expressed. For transgender women
Alyssa and Magdalena, the insults heaped upon
them were explicit and shaming in front of family
or guests. Alyssa recalled:
… then [my father] will say to me, ‘You
went out last night again, you just suck
cock, like that.’ I think it is very painful that
he will say that in front of the family, ‘You
like, you just want to suck cock outside.’
Magdalena said:
I was playing with my nephew... I was
Philippines: Kwentong Bebot 175
 tickling him, he was laughing and
enjoying and [my mother] told me that
that kind of action ‘tickling a baby boy
and you are gay; that’s a form of mo-
lestation, child molestation.’ So I really
felt bad, I cried.
Angel, 42, provided an example of verbal and
emotional violence that was accompanied by
a violent physical act. After telling her family
that she was a lesbian, her brother took out
a gun and shot their pet dog, saying, “Ako,
naglagot ako sa imo [I am mad at you]. I might
be able to kill you.”Verbal violence, which often
contains a directive to change behavior or dress,
also serves to remind LBT women of a female’s
place in society. May Rhoda, a transgender
woman, analyzed her boyfriend’s frequent
verbal abuse:
When he gets mad, he always tells me, ‘Don’t
feel confident that you are moneyed; you’re
just a bayot [gay/transgender person]’... That
I’m so underestimated that I’m really, really
small. It pisses me off. If I am ‘just a bayot’,
why did he still chase after me?
Traditionally, families do not disown Filipino
LBT children because nuclear families need to re-
main intact as an economically functioning unit.
However, Pol, a transgender woman, lamented
that she was forced to leave home after her father
caught her flirting with some men in her native
Bacolod City:
I left everything behind in Manila just
for you guys and this is how you repay
me? You’re kicking me out?... I lived in
boarding houses; I’ve never been kicked
out [by them] but here, within my own
family, my father kicks me out. So I was
really, really hurt.
Many of the LBT women interviewed for this
research also reported experiencing verbal and
emotional violence outside of the home. Brigite,
a transgender sex worker, recalled a saleswoman
addressing her as “Sir.” “That’s an insult. Oh my
176 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
God, look at my boobs, so huge, and you’re
going to call me sir?” Brigite recalled. Most of
the emotional and verbal violence that respondents
experienced took the form of sexually loaded
taunts, catcalls, whistles, the playing of music
offensive to transgender women, gestures, visual
signs and insults posted online from either strangers,
neighbors, acquaintances and employees of public
establishments. The content of the verbal attacks
consisted mostly of thinly veiled invitations for sex,
putdowns laden with stereotypes, and threats of
injury or sexual assault.
Rain’s sister, a makeup artist who accepted Rain’s
transgenderism, proudly uploaded videos of Rain’s
cosmetic transformations. Instead of praise, online
commentators posted such remarks as “Oh, so
this a trans/gay” after they realized she was a
transgender woman. Rain found those comments
to be “offensive and insensitive.”
Violence in the Name of Religion
Only a small number of the LBT women we
interviewed said that they considered religion a
critical factor for their emotional, psychological
or social development. Those who considered
faith to be important in their lives said they felt
violated by homophobic or transphobic church
doctrine, or they blamed religious tenets for
promoting oppression within their families.
Sheena, a bisexual woman:
I think what happened was a result of my
parents being constantly bombarded by
advice from their … church. Before [they
started going to church], they were not
like that. It seemed that they knew [my
sexual orientation] and they were letting
me be; but with that pressure from the
church, they became strict with me.
Other respondents coped by either quietly
conforming to the rules of their church or by
leaving the church altogether. Kaycee, a trans-
gender woman, said:
 I was born Catholic, my father reminded
me... when I told him I am a woman, he
said, ‘No, you’re not, you’re born male,
you have to be man, you’re a boy’ … I
said I am not in between, I am a woman...
That’s why I changed my religion … [to
what] I call paganism or pagan.
Some respondents like transwoman Vanessa had
an opposite reaction to religious pressure:
Religion doesn’t influence me on being
a transgender. Religion did not have an
effect on me. I just believe in God.
Violence in Schools
Warranting special attention are the human
rights violations taking place against LBT
students in schools, where institutional rules,
policies, and practices effectively create a
climate of exclusion and facilitate instances of
violence and abuse. Official academic activities
often provide the cover for violations.
Cindy, a 27-year-old transgender woman recalled
how an ROTC (Reserve Officers’ Training Corps)
superior officer picked on her and her fellow
female transgender ROTC cadets:
… the officer, he was super angry because
the bayots35 won’t march at all … they
think we are only slacking off. But we
weren’t relaxing at all because we waxed
the floor… sell soda drinks, carrying soda
cases… we really got two punches that
time, which is not right … our bodies
were still so thin that time.
Respondents said emotional violence from fellow
students was commonplace. Transgender re-
spondent Vanessa recalled being taunted by her
classmates in high school:
I walked in the corridors just not to be
seen by the students. Once you walk
[along an open pathway or outside] the
building, they taunt you: ‘Bakla! Bayot!’
Sexual Violence
Many of the respondents reported being raped
within their families. Most of the victims were
transgender women who were sexually abused by
uncles during childhood and in pre-pubescence.
Pol, transgender respondent:
So I was raped... [when I was in the] 5th
Grade, 6th Grade… I was scared of my
uncle; he was a drug addict... [It] might
destroy the family... I live with him now...
It’s hard to explain... he just laid beside
me then... he took my hand, and that’s
it... I’m still ashamed...Ashamed for him...
It’s because he did it to me, his nephew.
Many transgender women only become aware
later in life that what they experienced as children
is sexual violence. Mae, a 24-year-old transgender
woman, surmised that she must have exhibited
signals that the perpetrators perceived as license to
molest her. She said:
I think I was 10 years old, 11. Actually,
not just with my uncle but with some
35 B ayot is the Visayan language word for bakla. See Glossary
section for further explanation.
Philippines: Kwentong Bebot 177
 of my neighbors... But I did not resist...
because … they know that maybe I was
transgender/effeminate, so they will just
[unfinished phrase] …
Transgender woman Jelay said:
He [my uncle] lifted me bodily into the
room. He said, ‘You’re a bakla so you suck
my penis.’ Of course, at that time [I was
in second grade], I had no idea about
those things. Then he told me to just suck
it…[He raped me and] my anus was torn,
some organs came out of the wound, and
it was stitched later.
Several respondents said they had considered
suicide in the immediate aftermath of verbal
abuse, which often represented the culmination
of years of mistreatment.
At the time, only cisgendered women could be
legally considered rape victims, but a case was
filed nonetheless against Jelay’s uncle. During
the court hearing, both the local community
and the judge were alleged to have commented
on the presumed role Jelay’s own identity as a
transgender girl played in the assault. According
to Jelay:
When my mother came home [after the
attack], I had a lot of blood here [indicat-
ing his buttocks], and … my mother and
my uncle and his wife [argued, saying],
‘She is a bakla she probably flirted and
asked for it.’ It was brought to court
because I was a minor that time, and [my
uncle] was sent to prison until now…
There was a hearing, and of course
people from both sides came [to court].
His side of the family, they were saying
things like, ‘Because she’s bakla, maybe
she flirted with the guy.’ … The judge
questioned me; he thought maybe I was
showing motives for the guy … Then
178 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
our lawyer asked how can I show motive
when I was so young and didn’t know
much about those things… I think we
had two hearings.
Anne, a bisexual woman, said her former male
partner used physical and sexual assault as a
means of denigrating her sexual orientation:
[It happened] a few times. I denied it
because it is one of the justifications he
had in beating me, so I totally denied it
after. But he wouldn’t believe me [refer-
ring to her sexual orientation]. He even
humiliated me also because of that...
Because I think he found it intimidating,
that’s what he said anyway. “What can
you find in those women?”
Many people in the transgender community
advise against working in typecast occupations,
suggesting instead that transgender people take
up corporate work or enter political office to
avoid discrimination and abuse. However, one
transgender woman who worked as a village
official found that her position offered her no
protection from a colleague’s sexual advances.
Lei, transgender respondent:
… we were talking, then he said, ‘You
are very … Kap36 … Your hands are
a bit unbecoming. We’re just going to
look at your [breasts] …’ I’ve heard from
other kagawads (village officers) who are
with me that he brags that he was able to
mash my breasts.
Transgender women in our research also
reported being subject to physical and sexual
violence at the hands of strangers or acquaintances,
which included unwanted touching of the
body, forced sexual acts, humiliation and the
inflicting of pain.
36 Kap is a colloquial honorary title, the abbreviated form of
capitan de barangay (village captain).
Candy, transgender respondent:
Men who hang out at [street] corners,
they touch me. They ask me while doing
that, ‘Do I have a vagina yet?’ I tell them,
‘None yet, just wait and we’ll get there.’
Svetlana, transgender respondent:
There was this guy [from out of nowhere]
forcing me to have sex with him. I told
him I can’t, I made all the excuses – No,
no, no, am so tired, I have boyfriend.
Suddenly I told him, [I] am sick, I have
STD … he grab me somewhere in the
dark, push me, like do something about
it, do something very sexual like… I was
able to escape.
Madelene is a transgender rape survivor, and was
able to put her abuse in a social context, lament-
ing the fact that she was considered a slave, a
toy, the recipient of punishment, a worthless sex
object, a used object, a nothing:
My hands were tied behind my back and I
was stripped of my clothes. Good thing I
was able to escape... it was just ‘attempted’
[rape], I mean... like you’re a sex slave; [a]
play toy. It is tolerable men to have sex
with a transgender because [the perpetrator
is] still a man and it is [the transgender
women’s] punishment because he’s making
himself a woman. Punishment ... look,
you’re dressed like a woman so I’ll have sex
with you ... It is like we’re just being used
because we do not have worth. You’re a
sexual object. You are used, and after that
you are nothing.
MANIFESTATIONS OF
DISCRIMINATION
Discrimination in Schools
Some teachers appeared to impose their own
personal values and used institutional rules to
suppress people’s gender expression, including
giving students lower grades than they deserved.
Lesbian respondent Kel:
… she [my high school teacher] said …
I should behave accordingly and not like
the way I’m behaving now... I had some
crushes, too; she didn’t like it... that’s why
she’s involving my grades.
Many of the LBT women interviewed said they
felt pressured to alter their preferred gender ex-
pression while at school and while wearing school
uniforms. They reported that some officials explic-
itly sought to change their behavior. Transgender
woman, Madelene, said:
You get to talk with the disciplinarian.
They act like, “Why are you being
disciplined?’ [I said] because of what
I wore, sir. ‘What are you wearing?’
Women’s clothes. ‘Why are you wearing
a woman’s clothes? You’re a man. Don’t
you know that it is a sin... because you
are born as a man? God never made
man as a woman.’ They really let you
feel guilty so that you revert back to be
like that.
One school tasked health workers with de-
termining the sexual orientation and gender
identity of particular students who had been
singled out for attention. Stef, transgender
respondent said:
… they [counselors] were trying to
rehabilitate us. … I think it was Grade 6
… All of us, gays in the whole batch…
Philippines: Kwentong Bebot 179
 We were sent to the guidance counselor.
Slowly we were asked about how we feel.
Were we girls? Boys? Who do we idol-
ize? What do we do? Do we think it was
proper? … [Our] parents were summoned
and told that their son is gay.
...they [health workers] were laughing
at us; [there was] blood all over my face,
[but] they just ignored us. No one in the
hospital approached us. But if they see a
straight guy and girl, they will immediately
assist them, but if they see an injured
trans, they will just ignore you.

Health-care workers passed judgment on

Discrimination in the Workplace transgender women even if the women simply
accompanied someone else to a medical facility
LBT women also face discrimination when ap-
or volunteered to donate blood. Transgender
plying for jobs, and are often denied employment
woman Seanel recalled helping her mother visit
despite being better educated and having either
her doctor:
equal or better qualifications than other appli-
cants. They are either told upfront the reasons for
I said, good evening, Doc. He looks
their being unsuccessful or are left to speculate on
shocked that I have a big voice … ‘What
the reasons for being denied a job.
are you?’… he keeps on asking me, ‘Why
are you like that?’ In the first place, we
Del, transgender respondent:
went there for my mom, [he was not
supposed] to criticize or interrogate me
It’s like when I applied at that company,
for what I am… ‘Why are you like that?
which was a call center; they told me,
Do your mom and dad allow you to be
‘Sorry, we don’t take cross-dressers.’ So I
like that?’
was hurt, because it’s like, I came all this
way for nothing.
Some lesbian respondents recalled being forced to
undergo psychiatric analysis without prior consent
Cindy, transgender respondent:
during their childhood or following a domestic
dispute. Robyn, a lesbian, attempted suicide
I immediately applied… my resume was
when she was fifteen after a failed relationship.
returned [with a note that] said, ‘Can you
Her mother took her on a trip to Manila without
just think this over first if you are really
telling her the purpose:
for this job?’
I didn’t know I was to meet the doctor, so
for me it was like I was betrayed... Only later
Discrimination in Healthcare and did I learn I was to meet [the doctor, and
she] wasn’t that helpful [She said:] ‘Why did
Service Institutions you attempt suicide? Was it because of a guy?
Because of a girl?’ … She said, ‘You can’t
The transgender women interviewed for our study
accept that you are a tomboy,’ that was her
reported being pointedly ignored when they
choice of word. That time it felt very big, not
sought health care. Some were refused service and
for someone young like me.
referrals, largely on the basis of religious bias.
After being punched in the face following a petty
quarrel, Princess, a transgender woman, went to
the hospital, accompanied by a friend, to seek
medical care and was ignored. She said:

180 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
 ANGEL
Angel (pseudonym) is 42 years old and identifies
as a lesbian, or in her local language, a dong. She was
born in Davao City while her parents are from Leyte
and Samar in the Visayas. She completed a BS Agriculture
degree and worked as a government employee for four
years before venturing into business. Her entrepreneurial
spirit led her to open an Internet cafe and bar. She
also rented out videoke [karaoke] machines when they
were a popular fad.
Angel began having crushes on girls while in
high school, but she kept denying these feelings. She
suppressed her feelings for a long time because she
disliked the idea of becoming a lesbian. Her fear of
being taunted kept her from telling her close lesbian
friend about her feelings. Instead she sought refuge in
God, with whom she shared her innermost feelings. At
that time, she prayed hard not to be a lesbian. When
she was in college, Angel started opening up to other
people about her attraction to girls, but she remained
guarded and kept it from her family. She was masculine
in character and was not open to her family about
her same-sex relations because of their Catholic back-
ground; her mother and siblings were active in church.
When she was younger, she hated wearing skirts. Her
mother and sister usually dragged her to the depart-
ment store and bought her skirts and feminine clothes,
even though she did not wear any of them.
At the age of 24, having waited until she was old
enough, she fully accepted her own identity as a dong
and entered into a relationship with a woman. She did
not have any plans to live with a woman at that point, at
least not until her family learned about the relationship.
She was 32 years old when her family discovered
her relationship. It was both a happy and sad event –
happy because it liberated her but sad because her family
was angry with her. They rejected the relationship and
became very angry with her, particularly her sister
and brother. Her sister accused her of being immoral
and of not wanting her children (Angel’s nephews
and nieces) to witness her immorality. Her brother
said that he might kill her. At the height of his rejection,
he took out a gun and shot their pet dog. Angel was
forced to run away without a single peso in her pocket
and live with her girlfriend and girlfriend’s family. She
did not want to leave her family because they were
important to her but these circumstances led her to
start a life of her own with her girlfriend. Angel worked
at different odd jobs to survive and to supplement the
income from their small sari-sari [mom-and-pop]
store. She began a family of her own, and together
with her partner raised a daughter.
Angel continues to go through the demands of
everyday life as a dong. Her masculine appearance
means she often encounters banter in female toilets or
quizzical looks when she accesses health-care services.
She is taunted for being a butch dong. But for her, the
most difficult part is her family’s rejection. She finds
it difficult when it is her family who is her adversary.
She has spent the past eight years striving to show
her family that she can make it on her own without
asking for their help. She acknowledges that she is not
immoral; she still prays and considers herself a child of
God no matter what.
Recently, Angel broke up with her live-in partner
and now lives alone. Her daughter is now under the
care of her aunt. For a long time her brother tried to
initiate dialogue with her, but Angel rejected his efforts
until recently. Now reconciliation with her family has
begun. She looks forward to a liberated, happy and
empowered life ahead.
Philippines: Kwentong Bebot 181

Restricted Access to Public Facilities
Many of the LBT women we interviewed recalled
being physically barred from entering a public
space or being compelled to leave after they had
entered. This was particularly evident in relation
to transgender women being denied access to
women’s areas in gender-segregated washrooms
and trains with special carriages designated for
females and parents with young children.
Svetlana, transgender respondent:
Well, one time I was not allowed to stay
in the female section in the LRT (Light
Railway Transit) … also in public toilets,
sometimes I do get a lot like, ‘You go to
the male area.’
In order to avoid humiliation, some of the
transgender women interviewed said they
would try to gain access to toilets when no one
was looking, use gender-neutral toilets or simply
avoid using public toilets altogether. Mae,
transgender respondent, said:
I had a dialogue with the HR [human
resources] manager. He told me that …
there are other female employees that
are not comfortable [with me using the
women’s room] and [they] would com-
plain about … transgender female in the
female lounge.
State Discrimination
Most of the transgender women we interviewed
had experienced harassment and discrimina-
tion when they applied for passports and other
documents for international travel. The offenders
were usually processing officers at Department of
Foreign Affairs offices.
Transgender woman Madelene:
I was already hungry because I was there
as early as 6am, or maybe 5am. Then,
182 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
when you reach the end of your queue,
they would delay you because you’re a
woman, but when they see your gender,
male... [they say] ‘Oh, it’s really necessary,
ma’am, because we have a memoran-
dum... that transgenders should look like
men in their passport photo.’
Police officers and members of the military
were also responsible for harassing, bullying and
ridiculing transgender women. In some instance,
respondents said they were arbitrarily detained,
and asked or ordered to provide sexual favors.
They said desk officers often neglected or taunted
them. Alyssa, a transgender respondent, said
... when I go to government agencies,
I could feel sometimes the government
employee … will make fun of you... I can
see them laughing in front of me... Kind
of weird you’re in the government, you
should be acting like a good person serv-
ing the public, but instead you’re making
fun of the people.
IMPACT OF VIOLENCE
AND DISCRIMINATION
The LBT women interviewed for this research
project said their experiences with discrimination
and violence had psychological consequences,
including sadness, clinical depression, fear of
rejection, fear of relationships, self-doubt, self-
blame and resignation. Some respondents also
reported anger, paranoia, aggressiveness towards
themselves and their partners, and a heightened
sense of combativeness.
Kel, lesbian respondent:
It’s like, ‘Why is it like this? Why is this hap-
pening to me? Why do I have to go through
all of these? Am I being punished?’
Svetlana, transgender woman:
I learn to be more careful … paranoid
 about things, and oftentimes I get more
prejudgment. Sometimes I prefer to stay
home rather than go out.
Several respondents said they had considered sui-
cide in the immediate aftermath of verbal abuse,
which often represented the culmination of years
of mistreatment. Stef, a 24-year-old transgender
woman, said:
My mom scolded me again that time,
I don’t know about what, but it is con-
nected with my being gay. I kept on
crying on the stairs. I got a knife and
attempted to cut my wrist.
Vanessa, a 61-year-old transgender woman, said
the violence she had faced at home had led her
to drop out of school early. She said her lack of
education had seriously impacted her ability to be
financially independent later in life:
I didn’t finish my studies because I was
battered by my brothers. They didn’t want
me to be transgender/effeminate gay.
Grace, a 21-year-old lesbian graphic artist, said
that repeated attacks by co-workers had impacted
her performance at work:
It’s like I have moments that I would just
stare off, I couldn’t work. It’s like I keep on
questioning, ‘Is my drawing alright?’ They
[co-workers] really damaged my confidence
as an artist. So it was not just about the work-
place anymore, it was on a personal level.
One respondent said she vowed to overcome
adversity and use her experiences with workplace
discrimination to fight for equality for other LBT
people. Rain, a transgender woman who works as
a recruitment officer in a call center said:
As recruitment personnel myself, I always
make sure that I am sensitive. I uphold
equality and think about what I do be-
cause I know that I can do better com-
pared to the HR personnel [who discrimi-
nated against me] before.
COPING METHODS
AND LBT RESILIENCE
Community support was often lacking or absent
for LBT women. Law enforcement also failed to
intervene when there was violence.
Anne, a bisexual woman was in a physically abu-
sive marriage for a year:
I remember there was a time and he
[my husband] was beating me ... I could
see the neighbors outside. Can you
imagine neighbors and police outside?
And nobody would get in. The police
said they could not interfere because it
was a domestic problem. So they were
outside but they wouldn’t help.
Jason, a 21-year-old transgender woman, felt
it was preferable not to rely on people from
outside the LBT community in overcoming
discrimination:
Maybe it can help, but in my opinion
we should fight our own battles and not
depend on others.
Many LBT people we interviewed said they relied
on inner fortitude and support from friends to
cope. Some respondents said they received their
first tangible support and advice from school
guidance counselors or class advisers. Grace, a
lesbian graphic artist, said that one of her teachers
had recommended that she not come out to her
parents until much later in life:
A teacher advised me; she said, ‘Don’t tell
them yet because you’ll never know what
your parents are going to do. You are still
studying. Take my advice,’ she said. “You
tell them once you have a job of your own
and you’re living on your own.”
Krizia, a lesbian, said she provided support to
another gay friend who was experiencing violence:
I tell him that it’s alright, that he’s still
Philippines: Kwentong Bebot 183
 young, that he’ll still have more relation-
ships than he expected.
For some LBT respondents, banding together
proved an effective strategy, particularly when
negotiating discriminatory policies. Transgender
woman Stef said a united front had enabled her
and her transgender peers to reach an agreement
with school authorities on a mutually acceptable
policy on hair length. She said:
We asked the dean if we could compro-
mise since we’ve worn our hair long for
sometime already …there was an agree-
ment that when we go to school, we have
to tie our hair so it won’t show.
Broader mobilization has also proven effective.
One transgender woman, Svetlana, used the
Internet to raise awareness about a series of
unexplained drive-by shootings targeting the
transgender community and reach out to LGBT
rights groups for support. She posted a note on
her Facebook wall about the pellet-gun shootings
victimizing her friends. ‘It spread all over LGBT
groups in the country and they did do something
about it,’ she said.37
Others said they were actively working to change
both attitudes and policy. Mae, a transgender
respondent, went to the human resources man-
ager at her workplace and raised the issue of toilet
access for transgender employees. “So what he
[the manager] did, he converted the handicapped
CR [comfort room/toilet], the one that is for
handicapped people,” she said.
LBT women working in government agencies and
NGOs generally have a working knowledge of the
laws and policies mandating state agencies and
NGOs to protect LBT people from discrimination.
However, it appeared from our interviews that this
knowledge was not passed along to the general
LBT community. The majority of respondents
37 “ Pellet Gun Attacks and Hate Crimes,” God Antifornicator,
accessed February 13, 2013, http://antifornicator.com/pellet-
gun-attacks-and-hate-crimes.
184 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
had no knowledge of which institutions they
could approach to make a formal complaint of
discrimination. Some respondents learned this
information later in life, often years after their
initial experiences with discrimination. Only a
small number of the LBT women interviewed
believed there was strength in numbers and
looked ahead to how they might best support
those most marginalized in their community,
such as older LBT persons. Charlie, a transgender
respondent, said:
I’m planning for old gays because here I
have old gay friends and I have some old
bisexual friends here, and you know some
of them are abandoned by their family, so
in my little way I am trying to help them.
NGOs that provide support for LBT women have
emerged in recent years, inspiring the younger
generation to consider careers in service provision,
in particular counseling, where they transform
their personal experiences into support for others.
Madalene, a transgender respondent, said:
We’re not that trained to give counsel,
but… we are support for counseling … we
give good advice … [F]or me, most of the
concerns of the counselor is with the [gen-
der] transition. So what they always ask is,
‘Is this healthy? ...Is this hormones? ...Is this
good?’ We just base it on our experience.
Some respondents also reported that they had suc-
cessfully coordinated with government agencies
to bring about positive change. Pol, a transgen-
der woman based in Bacolod City, said she had
contacted the government official responsible for
gender and development. “She was the previous
chairperson for gender and development. She
authored a manual on protecting LGBTs from
discrimination,” Pol said.
Despite the prevalence of discrimination and
violence, some of the LBT women we inter-
viewed reported having positive life experi-
ences, at times with support from unexpected
sources and in surprising situations. Agnes a
26-year-old lesbian, recalled driving around one

day with her high school group, three girls who
were devout Christians:
Then we were in a car, I told Ruth… I am
bothered since it’s considered a sin… Her
response was really, really unexpected. She
said, ‘You know our God is a just God.
He will not punish you or send you to
hell because you’re a lesbian. He or she
will judge you depending on what you
did with your life. So don’t worry.’
Two transgender women said they were lucky
to have grown up in supportive environments.
Randy, a transgender respondent, said:
Where I come from, people liked me.
I was this jolly kid that everyone liked.
Some were even pointing out that they
wanted to have a child somewhat like
me. Because, you know, back there I
was the only effeminate child in the
neighborhood. I think they were envious
seeing a child who liked dancing and
singing in town fiestas.
Sugarli, transgender respondent:
[Discrimination] never happened
because our principal is very support-
ive and they find me very productive
because I always help, especially those, in
programs in school.
Raycee, a transgender woman who works as a free-
lance researcher, had a positive experience with the
Department of Foreign Affairs:
I went to the DFA to renew my passport,
and then a certain man interviewed me,
Philippines: Kwentong Bebot 185
 asked what do I want to put [as] my
gender. He typed female, and then I PHILIPPINES LAWS
corrected him, that can you please put
male instead so that I would not have [a] AND LBT PEOPLE
problem when I go out the country. I felt
The Philippines was under Spanish rule for more
very happy because he put female in my
than three centuries, during which time Spanish
passport as my gender - that’s so nice.
laws were enacted, including the criminalization
of “sodomy.” According to one historical account,
Many respondents said that they had been
the ruling Spanish Royal Audencia in 1599 issued
unaffected by the taunts directed at them and
an ordinance targeting Chinese traders who were
were able to rise above feelings of negativity.
deemed to have introduced “sodomy” among the
Raycee, a transgender respondent, said:
male and female indigenous Filipinos of Manila.
Under the ordinance, “sodomy” was punishable by
When I was younger, they [people in
burning at the stake and confiscation of property.38
general] sometimes call me bakla, but then
I don’t really mind them, because after all
In 1822, when the Napoleonic Code was adopted
they are not the one who put food on my
in Spain, the colonial government adhered to the
table. Why should I mind them? It doesn’t
legislative changes made under the new and more
make me a lesser person if they told me
liberal regime, which remained in place after the
that, and I don’t mind them at all.
conservatives regained power.39 Indeed, in mod-
ern times, the word “sodomy” only reappeared in
Philippine law in 1995, when sodomy was listed
as one of a number of prohibited acts or “ele-
ments” related to the initiation rites of fraternities
under an anti-hazing law (RA 8049).40 Outside of
the crime of hazing, sodomy is not criminalized.

Following Spain’s ceding of the Philippines to

the United States in 1898, a Revised Penal Code
(RPC) was passed by the Philippine Assembly in
1932. It did not criminalize same-sex activities,
homosexuality or transgenderism. However, cer-
tain provisions described in detail in the following
paragraphs have been the basis for the State to
target LGBT people. One of the provisions of the
RPC is Article 202 which defines vagrancy as:

38 Ambeth Ocampo, “Sodomy in old laws and dictionaries,”

Philippine Daily Inquirer (November 10, 2010), accessed October
28, 2012, http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/
view/20101110-302397/Sodomy-in-old-laws-and-dictionaries.

39 Douglas Sanders, “377 and the Unnatural Afterlife of British

Colonialism in Asia,” Asian Journal of Comparative Law, (Vol.
4, Issue 1, Article, 7, 2009), 22.

40 Republic Act No. 8049 [Anti-Hazing Law], Philippine Laws,

Statute and Codes, Chan Robles Virtual Law Library, accessed
October 28, 2012, http://www.chanrobles.com/antihazinglaw.htm.

186 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
 1. “Any person having no apparent means of
subsistence, who has the physical ability to
work and who neglects to apply himself or
herself to some lawful calling”;
2. “Any person found loitering about public or
semi-public buildings or places or trampling
or wandering about the country or the
streets without visible means of support”;
3. “Any idle or dissolute person who ledges in
houses of ill fame; ruffians or pimps and those
who habitually associate with prostitutes,” and
4. “Any person who, not being included in
the provisions of other articles of this Code,
shall be found loitering in any inhabited
or uninhabited place belonging to another
without any lawful or justifiable purpose”.41
Article 202 also defines “prostitutes” as “women
who, for money or profit, habitually indulge in
sexual intercourse or lascivious conduct.”42 This
Article is often used as basis for the arrest of
gay men and transgender women for vagrancy.
However, despite the frequency of arrests made on
this basis nationwide,43 to our knowledge few formal
complaints were lodged, next to no investigations
were undertaken, and no convictions were made. It
would therefore appear that the arrests were acts of
harassment rather than an enforcement of the law.
In 2012, Congress repealed the vagrancy portion of
the law but retained the criminalization of pros-
titution for women only.44 It is hence too soon to
41 An Act Revising the Penal Code and Other Penal Laws, The
Revised Penal Code of the Philippines, accessed February15,
2013, http://www.un.org/Depts/los LEGISLATIONANDTREATIES/
PDFFILES/PHL_revised_penal_code.pdf.
42 A n Act Revising the Penal Code and Other Penal Laws, The
Revised Penal Code of the Philippines, accessed February 15,
2013, viewed February 15 2013, http://www.un.org/Depts/los/
LEGISLATIONANDTREATIES/PDFFILES/PHL_revised_penal_
code.pdf.
43 C hristopher Mendoza, “BSTPO Collars five lady boys and two
commercial sex workers,” Boracay Sun Newspaper, 2012,
accessed October 29, 2012. http://boracaylive.com/news/
bstpo-collars-five-lady-boys.
44 R epublic Act No. 10158 (An Act Decriminalizing Vagrancy,
Amending for this Purpose Article 202 of Act No. 3815, as
determine the impact this is having on gay men
and transgender people.
Articles 336 (acts of lasciviousness) and Article
340 (corruption of minors) of the RPC have
been the provisions most frequently used as a
pretext to arrest, detain, charge, convict and
sentence transgender women and bakla who have
been found guilty of having sexual contact with a
male. After rape was redefined in 1997 to include
acts of sexual assault against men, RA 8353 or the
Anti-Rape Law45 became the preferred tool used
against bakla, and transgender women, who under
Philippine law are still considered male.
Article 200 defines a grave scandal as one com-
mitted by “any person who shall offend against
decency or good customs by any highly scan-
dalous conduct not expressly falling within any
other article of this Code.”46 This vaguely defined
provision is also used as basis for conducting raids
of bars and saunas frequented by gay males.
Article 201 under the “Offenses Against Decency
and Good Customs” provision which prohibits
“immoral doctrines, obscene publications and ex-
hibitions and indecent shows”47 is used as a pretext
to conduct searches of leisure establishments for the
presence of pornographic material or proof of strip-
ping or theatrical displays of sexual intercourse.48
amended, otherwise known as the Revised Penal Code),
Republic of the Philippines, Congress of the Philippines,
July 25, 2011, accessed October 28, 2012, http://www.gov.
ph/2012/03/27/republic-act-no-10158.
45 R epublic Act No. 8353 [The Anti-Rape Law of 1997], Philippine
Laws, Statute and Codes, Chan Robles Virtual Law Library,
accessed October 29, 2012, http://www.chanrobles.com/
republicactno8353.htm.
46 A n Act Revising the Penal Code and Other Penal Laws, The
Revised Penal Code of the Philippines, accessed February15,
2013, http://www.un.org/Depts/los/LEGISLATIONANDTREATIES/
PDFFILES/PHL_revised_penal_code.pdf.
47 A n Act Revising the Penal Code and Other Penal Laws, The
Revised Penal Code of the Philippines, accessed February15,
2013, http://www.un.org/Depts/los/LEGISLATIONANDTREATIES/
PDFFILES/PHL_revised_penal_code.pdf.
48 “Human Rights Violations on the Basis of Sexual Orientation, Gender
Identity, and Homosexuality in the Philippines, A Coalition Report,”
Philippines: Kwentong Bebot 187
Under “Crimes Against Liberty,” Article 267 on
“Kidnapping And Serious Illegal Detention”49
has been used to charge lesbians and transgender
men with abduction and kidnapping, which gen-
erally occurs when the parents of daughters who
have eloped with their lesbian or male transgender
partners call on police to threaten the couple and
attempt to force them to separate.
The Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003
defines trafficking of persons as including the ex-
ploitation or prostitution of others or other forms
of sexual exploitation. This law has been used to
justify surprise searches of establishments fre-
quented by transgender women and bakla in or-
der to obtain evidence of transactional sex, which
is punishable by law. However, it would appear
that the raids are designed to harass and extort
patrons and staff, who are subsequently arrested
on charges related to trafficking, then invariably
released with no formal charges against them. 50
Legal Protections for LBT People
While there is no national anti-discrimination law
that provides protection for LGBT people on the
basis of sexual orientation and gender identity,
there are some cities that have enacted or are in the
process of enacting local ordinances for that purpose.
Among the local governments that have enacted lo-
cal ordinances are Cebu City on October 17, 2012,
and Davao City on December 12, 2012.51 In 2002,
International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC),
October 2012, accessed October 29, 2012, http://www2.ohchr.org/
english/bodies/hrc/docs/ngos/IGLHRC_Philippines_HRC106.pdf.
49 A n Act Revising the Penal Code and Other Penal Laws, The
Revised Penal Code of the Philippines, accessed February15,
2013, http://www.un.org/Depts/los/LEGISLATIONANDTREATIES/
PDFFILES/PHL_revised_penal_code.pdf.
50 O
 scar Atadero, “Opening communication lines with fingers
crossed,” Outrage Magazine, July 27, 2012, accessed
October 25, 2012, http://outragemag.com/online/opening-
communication-lines-with-fingers-crossed.
51 P aolo Romero, “Gays, lesbians press for passage of anti-
discrimination law,” Philippine Star, May 17, 2011, accessed
October 25, 2012, http://www.philstar.com/Article.
188 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
Quezon City passed an ordinance protecting LGBT
people from discrimination in the workplace.
The Family Code of the Philippines (Executive
Order No. 209, July 6, 1987) defines marriage as a
union between a man and a woman; hence marriage
is not legally permissible between two men or two
women.52 Additionally, bills have been proposed to
allow marriages only for “natural-born” men and
women to prevent transgender people from mar-
rying their partners.53,54 In any event, there is no
law covering gender recognition that would allow
transgender people to change their legal documents
to reflect the gender with which they identify.
Transgender and lesbian students also find it difficult
to assert their right to gender expression in the choice
of either the male or female school uniforms worn
at both public and private schools. The schools rely
on the Education Act of 1982 to determine internal
policies governing student behavior, irrespective of the
discriminatory nature of some of those policies.55
aspx?articleId=686831&publicationSubCategoryId=, “Passage
of Cebu’s anti-discrimination law lauded, Sun Star, October 18,
2012, accessed February 16, 2013,.http://www.sunstar.com.ph/
breaking-news/2012/10/18/passage-cebus-anti-discrimination-
law-lauded-248601.
52 A mita Legaspi, “Palace on same-sex marriage: Up to Congress,”
Philippine Headline News Online, May 11, 2012, accessed October
25, 2012, http://www.newsflash.org/2004/02/hl/hl111803.htm.
53 “ Philippines: Defend Transgender Rights,” International Gay
and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC), August 30,
2001, accessed October 30, 2012, http://www.iglhrc.org/cgi-
bin/iowa/article/takeaction/resourcecenter/724.html.
54 Philippines: Proposed Marriage Legislation In Senate
Discriminates Against Homosexuals And Transgenders,”
International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission
(IGLHRC), February 10, 1999, accessed October 30, 2012, http://
www.iglhrc.org/cgi-bin/iowa/article/takeaction/partners/142.html.
55 B atas Pambansa Bilang 232 [Education Act of 1982], Philippine
Laws, Statute and Codes. Chan Robles Virtual Law Library,
accessed October 30, 2012, http://www.chanrobles.com/
bataspambansabilang232.htm.

Stakeholder Responses
In consideration of the legal landscape for LBT
people in the Philippines, we asked representatives
from state agencies to respond to the violence and
discrimination that LBT people are facing.
The executive director of the Presidential Human
Rights Committee (PHRC) signaled that proactive
steps were being taken: “Right now we are taking
certain steps to present to the President that there are
pressing human rights issues in the LGBT com-
munity. That is why we are engaging many CSOs
… to touch base and get to know [their] demands
and concerns; that is, to identify the affirmative
action that must be done for them.” The PHRC is
in charge of ensuring proper implementation of UN
human rights conventions by the three branches of
government. At the time the interview was con-
ducted, the PHRC had conducted several meetings
with LGBT advocacy groups.56
Representatives from other executive agencies who
we interviewed for this study, such as the National
Commission for Indigenous Peoples (NCIP),
the Population Institute (PI), and the Philippine
Commission for Women (PCW) did not elab-
orate programmatic steps towards addressing
SOGIE-related issues, but said their programs
were open to everyone, regardless of SOGIE. All
three echoed the view that domestic violence laws
could cover LBT people. The PCW and NCIP
said agency directives were decided on a top-down
basis, and that the organizational culture allowed
for only very gradual change. The PI conducts
minimal policy work and has no service programs
that could impact the welfare of LBT people.
Two other stakeholder respondents were elected
legislators – one from local government and one
from national government. The first, a member of
the Cebu Provincial Board, had filed a local an-
ti-discrimination ordinance as an action to support
56 S amar News, “Malacañang hosts historic LGBT rights confab,”
Samar News, December 12, 2011, accessed February 13, 2013,
http://www.samarnews.com/news2011/dec/b421.htm.
the welfare of people with disabilities, with the aim
of making them “productive members of com-
munity.” While championing the rights of LGBT
people, this stakeholder had a minimal understand-
ing of sexual orientation and gender identity and
the concerns of LBT women, which highlights the
need for more engagement with LBT CSOs.
The other stakeholder respondent, a Congressman
from the House of Representatives with a strong
human rights background, had filed an anti-
discrimination bill that he felt, in retrospect, was in-
sufficient. He said, “There will be a need for a more
comprehensive and a more all-encompassing bill like
the CEDAW [Convention on the Elimination of All
Forms of Discrimination Against Women) or the
framework of the CEDAW, for LGBTs.”
He also said that the executive branch had more
powers than the legislative branch to address
SOGIE [sexual orientation, gender identity and
gender expression] rights. A representative from the
Philippines Commission on Human Rights, who
served as its ombudsman and capacity-builder,
signaled the agency’s readiness to go beyond
available laws, and apply all UN instruments, such
as the CEDAW and the Yogyarkarta Principles,57
in order to hold the government accountable to its
human rights obligations to LBT people.
While many of these initiatives are outwardly
positive, there are to date no specific govern-
ment-agency service provisions that address the
gender-specific needs of LGBT people. When
asked if agency offices have specific programs in
place or targeted orientation for LGBT clients,
the government-agency representatives inter-
viewed for this study uniformly said that LGBT
people could avail themselves of all their general
programs and that no one was discriminated
against in service provision. This assertion was
contradicted by our research.
57 Y ogyakarta Principles are a set of international principles
relating to sexual orientation and gender identity. See more at
http://www.yogyakartaprinciples.org/.
Philippines: Kwentong Bebot 189
RECOMMENDATIONS
In order to overcome the human rights violations taking place against LBT women in the Philippines, as
highlighted in this report, the Rainbow Rights Project recommends the following actions:

GOVERNMENT

The Philippines Congress must:

• Institute a multi-level and nationally supported policy of non-discrimination based on sexual orientation,
gender identity and gender expression.
The Executive Office of government must:
• Declare a national policy on sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and gender recognition.
• Convene interdepartmental conferences focusing on state policy and ensure inclusion of LBT issues in
the official policies and annual planning of national agencies, including: the Departments of Health,
Labor, Foreign Affairs, Education, National Defense, Justice and Interior and Local Government; the
Philippine Commission on Women; and the Offices of the President.
The Executive Office must:
• Set up pilot structures within state mechanisms to provide resource support for victims and survivors,
by: establishing LBT women’s community centers; and restructuring existing State mechanisms to
accommodate LBT women, such as the establishment of a women’s and children’s desk within the
Philippine National Police and domestic violence desks at public hospitals.
The Legislature must:
• Amend legislation for women to explicitly include sexual orientation, gender identity and expression as
well as review and repeal all legislation that discriminates against LBT people. For example, the an-
ti-trafficking and vagrancy laws and laws that limit marriage to different-sex couples should be reviewed
and repealed.
The Judiciary must:
• Review Supreme Court jurisprudence to address unequal rulings.

CIVIL SOCIETY

The National Commission on Human Rights must:

• Improve monitoring human rights violations taking place against LBT women;
• Submit and disseminate official reports; and
• Investigate and present its findings on the incidence of violence against LBT women to government
and intergovernmental agencies.
The donor community and funding institutions must:
• Provide resources to establish training and counseling programs for LBT women;
• Fund meetings and conferences that address issues facing LBT women;

190 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
 • Provide assistance and resources for volunteer groups and NGOs that are already providing legal,
medical and counseling services for LBT women; and
• Support more research to better understand the situation of LBT women.

Human rights organizations in the Philippines must:

• Establish links with different advocacy groups, including those advocating for LBT rights;
• Identify and build the capacity of LBT organizations at the grassroots level to strengthen their
advocacy for LBT people;
• Organize targeted anti-violence campaigns around sexual orientation, gender identity and gender
expression; and promote services sensitive to the needs of LBT women, specifically health-care
support.

APPENDIX A: Gender Expression comprises the set of external

GLOSSARY OF TERMS
“Bakla” is the most used and most memorable
term to denote Philippine queer identity in recent
recorded history. Bakla denotes the hybrid classi-
fication that covers and conflates gender identity
and sexual orientation. It is also frequently used
as an epithet in political and social discourse
to evoke the concepts of cowardice, flightiness,
shallowness, incompleteness or conflicting ideas.
Other slang terms that are largely similar to bakla
include the following: Badaf (contraction of
“babaedapat” or “should have been a girl,” and
later became Bading); Sward; Syoke; and Third
Sex. In the Visayas, the equivalents are Bayot
(Cebuano for “Woman with a Penis”) and Agi
(Hiligaynon). There are other terms that became
popular and later disappeared or became rarely
used: Talyada, Sirena, Darna, Myla.
Filipino is the prevalent language used in the
Philippines aside from English. Filipino is based
largely on the Tagalog language with many
borrowed terms from Spanish and English.
Many of the respondents in this research used
Tagalog-based Filipino and English in Luzon,
Cebuano, and Hiligaynon in the Visayas while a
small number were conducted Cebuano and in
minority languages such as Tausug in Mindanao.
characteristics and behaviors one projects in
portraying one’s gender identity, which includes
dress, mannerisms, speech patterns, physical
characteristics, and other acts. Gender expression
may or may not conform to norms and stereotypes
(Rose, 2003).
Gender Identity is the inner conceptual sense of
self as “man”, “woman” or other, as divorced from
issues like gender expression, sexual orientation,
or physiological sex. It is a subtle and abstract,
but extremely powerful, sense of who you are, in
terms of gender, independent of how you dress,
behave, what your interests are, who you’re
attracted to, etc. (Reed, n.d.)
LGBT is the acronym for Lesbians, Gays, Bisexual
and Transgenders. This term is used to represent
non-heteronormative individuals and is slowly
gaining ground because of the increasing frequency
of activist discourse in mass media.
Sexual Orientation refers to a person’s capacity
for profound emotional, affectional and sexual
attraction to, and intimate and sexual relations with,
individuals of a different gender or the same gender
or more than one gender. (Yogyakarta Principles)
Media, politicians and the general public
predominantly use Third Sex when they refer to

Philippines: Kwentong Bebot 191

LGBT, which is a source of frustration among
modern activists. Despite monumental efforts APPENDIX B:
expended by both activists and LGBT citizens
in advocating for the urgent disuse of the term, METHODOLOGY
the average bakla on the street would proclaim
The Rainbow Rights Project, the project leader
his/her proud membership of the Third Sex in
in the Philippines, created a country team com-
pageants, TV appearances, and Facebook posts.
posed of advocates and researchers sympathetic
to the plight of lesbian, bisexual and transgender
Tomboy is the historically predominant term
(LBT) women.
produced by Philippine culture to describe
what the public sees as masculine women
Members of the country team attended the first
and also, but less often, to describe women
Asia Activist Institute, convened by IGLHRC
who identify as lesbians. In some ways, the
from April 13-17, 2010 in Antipolo City, Phil-
development of the tomboy concept shares
ippines. The Institute was convened with the
similar linguistic meanings and developments
primary goal of building the capacity of activists
as the term bakla. Tomboy tends to conflate
from five Asian countries (Japan, Malaysia, Sri
and hybridize the identities of butch lesbians,
Lanka, Pakistan and the Philippines) to document
FTM transsexuals, and heterosexual women
violence against LBT women. It was during this
who act butch. Because the idea of feminine
institute that the objectives and methodology for
lesbians did not have traction in the Filipino
this project were developed and the definition of
psyche in the 20th century, they probably were
violence, discrimination, identity and behavior
not included in the tomboy classification unless
were operationalized.
one’s orientation was disclosed to the public.
Other terms are tibo, tiboli, tibam, pars, soft
The country team, together with members of
butch, and hard butch for the butch lesbians
partner organizations, participated in a human
and mars, femme, and lipstick lesbians for the
rights documentation workshop on November
femme lesbians.
6, 2010 at the West Trade Center, Quezon City,
Philippines, in preparation for this three-year
Transpinay means a female human being of
nationwide documentation project. Professors
Philippine descent who was given a male sex
Beatriz Torre and Eric Julian Manalastas of the
assignment at birth. The Society of Transsexual
Department of Psychology at the University of
Women of the Philippines (STRAP) launched
the Philippines facilitated the workshop, which
the term during the 2008 Manila Pride March.
included a discussion about data collection in-
It is a combination of the words transsexual,
struments and protocol. Mock interviews were
someone whose gender identity is directly
also conducted to familiarize participants with
opposite of his/her sex assignment at birth, and
data collection instruments and processes.
Pinay, the local term for Filipina, a girl/woman
from the Philippines.
The country team partnered with four LBT orga-
nizations in the gathering of data collection from
March 2011 to February 2012. Information was
gathered from non-heteronormative women who
had experienced discrimination and violence. The
data-collection protocol included strict compli-
ance with ethical considerations. The country
team ensured that the target groups (lesbians,
bisexual women and transgender women) and the
three main island groups in the country (Luzon,

192 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
Visayas and Mindanao) were all represented.
The majority of the LBT interviews involved
transgender women (58%); about 29% involved
lesbians and 9% bisexual women (see Table 1).
TABLE 1: DISTRIBUTION OF INTERVIEWS BY GROUP
GROUP TOTAL PERCENTAGE
Bisexual Women 5 8.5
Lesbians 17 28.8
Transgender Women 34 57.6
Others 3 5.1
Total 59 100.0
There was easy access to the network of trans-
gender women, who were receptive to the call
for interviews, which led to a greater proportion
of transgender women being interviewed. The
maximum number of interviews per group was
also not set, which might have affected the final
distribution of the interviews by group. The small
representation of bisexual women interviewed can
perhaps be attributed to them having less visibility
in the country.
A significant proportion of the interviews were
from Luzon (59%), about one-third was from the
Visayas (34%), and about 7% were from Minda-
nao (see Table 2).
TABLE 2: DISTRIBUTION OF INTERVIEWS BY
MAJOR ISLAND GROUPS
ISLAND FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE
Luzon 35 59.3
Visayas 20 33.9
Mindanao 4 6.8
Total 59 100.0
Geographic and financial constraints contrib-
uted to the lesser representation of Mindanao.
The other interviews not included in the anal-
ysis were from Mindanao. Three LBT inter-
viewees were categorized as “Others,” which
included a transgender man, a lesbian group in-
terview with three people from Mindanao, and
a person who identified as male, all of which
were eventually not included in the analysis.
These interviews breached research protocol,
which said interviews should be conducted with
only individual interviewees and with respon-
dents who identified as women. The country
team did not want to offend the sensibilities
of transgender males; hence the interview with
the transgender man was conducted but not
included in the analysis of data from the pool
of women-identified respondents. The LBT
interviews were recorded and transcribed, and
interviews conducted in local languages were
translated into English.
Data collection on non-heteronormative women
was conducted in tandem with the data col-
lection on various stakeholders. Information
from stakeholders was gathered to document
the services and interventions they provide for
LBT women, as well as their knowledge of, and
attitudes towards, LBT women. It was also aimed
at collecting information on the existing laws and
policies on sexual orientation and gender identity/
expression. Similar to the data collection on LBT
women, part of the data collection protocol for
stakeholders was to ensure representation from
different types of stakeholders (including, but not
limited to, civil society organizations, state sector
representatives and medical/health providers) and
from the three main island groups in the country
(Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao).
More than a quarter (25%) of the 46 stakeholder
interviews involved representatives from Coos,
which included LGBT organizations, women’s
groups, human rights NGOs and reproductive
health advocates,15% involved state sector rep-
resentatives, including those from the legislative
branch, national government agencies, human
rights organizations and the state university.
Medical and health providers comprised al-
most one-fifth (20%) of those interviewed
and included psychiatrists, doctors, nurses and
guidance counselors. A group of miscellaneous
stakeholders (39%) included educators, reli-
gious leaders, employers and people working
in the media (see Table 3). All interviews were
recorded, transcribed and translated into English
when required.
Philippines: Kwentong Bebot 193
TABLE 3: DISTRIBUTION OF INTERVIEWS BY TYPE A total of 46 transcripts were sent to IGLHRC
OF STAKEHOLDER and SiNGC for data processing. Atlas.ti software
STAKEHOLDERS FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE was used to process the transcripts (see Table 4).
Six interviews (three lesbians and three transgen-
Civil Society Organizations 12 26.1
der women) were not processed because the data
State Sector Representatives 7 15.2
was not translated. The country team decided
Medical/ Health Providers 9 19.6
to exclude seven interviews that did not adhere
Miscellaneous 18 39.1
to the data-collection protocol. The answers of
(e.g. educators, religious leaders,
respondents from four interviews were deemed to
employers and media workers)
have been heavily influenced by the interviewers

and other people who were present. As stated
Total 46 100.0
earlier, three interviews were either not from LBT
women or were not one-on-one interviews.
Secondary data was also gathered from different
libraries, resource centers and the Internet, and
Two members of the country team took part in
included news clippings, press releases, books and
an online training on the processing and analy-
magazines. Secondary information on the experi-
sis of data related to stakeholder interviews on
ences of LBT women, laws on sexual orientation
April 26, 2012. The training was held to equip
and gender identity, available services and interven-
the team with the necessary skills to undertake
tions and pro and anti-LBT women activities were
stakeholder data analysis. A total of 46 stake-
used to provide context and to enrich the analysis.
holder interviews (see Table 3) were processed
and included in the analysis.
The country team formed a seven -member group
responsible for the processing and analysis of the
Lastly, members of the country team participated
collected data. This team took part in an online
in the 2nd Asia Activist Institute, convened by
training on the processing of the LBT women
IGLHRC on June 1-3, 2012, at Antipolo City,
interviews, which was conducted by representatives
Philippines. Activists from Japan, Malaysia, Sri
from IGLHRC and consultants from Strength in
Lanka, Pakistan and Philippines attended the
Numbers (SiNGC) on March 12, 2012. The train-
Institute. The Institute provided an orientation
ing provided capacity building for the qualitative
on the coded data and demonstrated different
coding of data (including the creation of transcript
data analysis techniques in preparation for the
summaries, the collection of common themes, and
report-writing phase of the project.
the definition of key qualitative terms and con-
cepts). Common themes for the Philippine data
were collected from the available transcripts and
sent to IGLHRC for consolidation.

TABLE 4: FREQUENCY OF INTERVIEWS BY DATA PROCESSING STATUS AND GROUP

GROUPS PROCESSED NOT PROCESSED NOT INCLUDED TOTAL

Bisexual Women 5 0 0 5
Lesbian 10 3 4 17
Transgender Women 31 3 0 34
Others 0 0 3 3

Total 46 6 7 59

194 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
SRI LANKA
“NOT GONNA TAKE IT
LYING DOWN”
Experiences of Violence and Discrimination
as Told by LBT Persons in Sri Lanka

WOMEN’S SUPPORT GROUP

CONTE NTS

INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................................201
DEDICATION ............................................................................................................................................ 203
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................................ 203
INTERVIEWEE DEMOGRAPHICS........................................................................................................... 204
HUMAN RIGHTS CONTEXT IN SRI LANKA ........................................................................................ 206
MANIFESTATIONS OF VIOLENCE BY NON- STATE ACTORS AND PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS........ 208
Emotional Violence................................................................................................................................... 208
Verbal Abuse as Violence ....................................................................................................................... 209
Violence of Cultural Norm and Gender Norm Enforcement .......................................................... 211
Physical Violence ....................................................................................................................................... 211
Sexual Violence ..........................................................................................................................................212
Intimate Partner Violence......................................................................................................................... 214
DISCRIMINATION AT THE WORKPLACE ............................................................................................. 215
VIOLENCE AND DISCRIMINATION BY STATE ACTORS...................................................................... 218
ACCESS TO REDRESS............................................................................................................................... 219
IMPACT OF VIOLENCE, RESPONDING AND COPING .................................................................... 220
Affective Responses ................................................................................................................................. 220
Passive Responses .................................................................................................................................... 222
Active/Activist Responses......................................................................................................................... 223
LAWS AFFECTING LBT PEOPLE IN SRI LANKA ................................................................................. 225
Section 365A - Penal Code – Gross Indecency ................................................................................. 225
Section 399 – Penal Code - Cheating by Personation...................................................................... 226
Vagrancy Ordinance of 1842.................................................................................................................. 226
Fundamental Rights ................................................................................................................................. 226
International Treaties................................................................................................................................ 227
RECOMMENDATIONS............................................................................................................................. 228
REFERENCES............................................................................................................................................. 229
APPENDIX A: TERMINOLOGY ................................................................................................................231
APPENDIX B: GLOSSARY OF TERMS ................................................................................................... 232
APPENDIX C: METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................................ 234

“I think the biggest discrimination for
me was from my family. Emotionally
and verbally they have discriminated
[against] me - their denial that I am
a lesbian and the refusal to accept
anything other than me being with a
man as being ok…They at best hide
my sexuality or refuse to acknowledge
it. So the problems are actively from
them and it continues still.”
– Mallika1, early 40s, identifies as a femme lesbian
“My partner’s family forcibly tried to give
her pills and medicine to cure her. They
tried very hard to change her into a het-
erosexual... [T]wice she was subjected
to electric shock therapy.”
– Roshmi, 39 years old, identifies as a lesbian
1 All names have been changed to maintain anonymity and
confidentiality.
INTRODUCTION
From 2010 to 2012, the Women’s Support Group
(WSG), a Colombo-based non-governmental
organization (NGO) providing support and
advocacy for lesbians, bisexual women and
transgender people (LBT),2 documented experi-
ences of violence and discrimination specific to
LBT people in Sri Lanka. This initiative, titled
the Asia Action Research to Address Violence
Against Non-Heteronormative Women and
Transgender People on the Basis of their Sexual
Orientation, Gender Identity or Gender Expression,
was part of a five-country project spearheaded
by the International Gay and Lesbian Human
Rights Commission (IGLHRC).
The WSG carried out 33 qualitative interviews
with LBT people and 51 qualitative interviews
with related stakeholders (i.e., lawyers, doctors,
mental health professionals, media representatives,
employers, religious leaders, representatives
of educational institutions, NGOs, and state
employees). Questions were structured around
the following themes: emotional violence, physical
violence, sexual violence, intimate partner
violence, workplace discrimination, state violence,
access to redress and coping mechanisms.
The interviews provided crucial insights on LBT
human rights issues, which had never before been
documented in Sri Lanka.
One key research finding is that Sri Lankan
lesbians, bisexual women and transgender people
most commonly experience emotional violence
as a result of their sexual orientation, gender
identity or gender expression (SOGIE). All 33
LBT interviewees had experienced some form
2 For the purpose of this research we will include both
transgender men and women. The acronym ‘LBT’ will
be used as an abbreviation for Lesbian, Bisexual and
Transgender. This umbrella term is meant to include
lesbians, bisexual women, transwomen (male-to-female
transgender persons) and transmen (female-to-male
transgender persons).
Sri Lanka: “Not Gonna Take It Lying Down” 201
of emotional violence, including: non-verbalized/
silent contempt, invisiblization, emotional manipu-
lation, gender norm enforcement, religious condem-
nation, invasion of privacy, restrictions on social-
ization, neglect, severing of relationships between
family and friends and controlling behaviour.
A second key finding is that, as almost all inter-
viewees admitted, family members are the main
perpetrators of emotional violence. In some cases,
although interviewees were not slow to state that
they had experienced emotional violence from
family members, the term “perpetrator” was not
one they readily associated with or wanted to
associate with a family member – even in the
context of the narrative of violence. The research
sheds light on the reasons for this reluctance,
which in itself is a potentially significant aspect of
the findings.
These findings suggest that Sri Lankan women,
while achieving high on development indicators
like literacy and education, are still subjects of a
conservative social environment where patriarchal
authority and heteropatriarchal norms are rein-
forced. In this society, heterosexual marriage is
encouraged, divorce and separation discouraged,
and family violence as well as partner violence
is invisiblized. Given that this environment
actively discourages female independence, espe-
cially sexual autonomy and gender difference,
and limits women’s access to and exposure in the
public sphere, the private space of the family is a
primary locus of the control of women – perhaps
the most oppressive institution for them. For LBT
persons, these circumstances are compounded by
the fact that they have no other forms of support.
For example, they may not be able to request help
from friends and colleagues, and cannot approach
religious communities or government institutions
such as the police and even women’s sheltering
services.
In addition to emotional violence, over two-thirds
of interviewees (26 out of 33) reported physical
violence. The project sought information on ex-
periences of physical violence in connection with
three aspects: coming out experiences; external
reactions to a respondent’s non-conformity in
202 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
terms of gender and sexual orientation; and in
relation to being in queer (see Glossary) relation-
ships. Interviewees were questioned specifically on
which acts constituted physical violence for them.
The interviews also revealed that more than half
(18 out of 33) had experienced sexual violence.
Both forms of violence (physical and sexual), were
linked to their sexual orientation, gender identity
or gender expression.
A staggeringly high number of interviewees (31
out of 33) reported the impact of the violence on
their mental health; amongst the mental health
issues cited were depression, anxiety, anger, frus-
tration, and fear arising from actual experiences
of violence and anticipation of further violence.
Nearly two-thirds of the interviewees (20 out of
33) chose not to disclose their sexual orienta-
tion to anyone for fear of rejection from society,
friends and family. Self-harming behaviour was re-
ported by 20 respondents, including an alarming
one third of the interviewees (11 out of 33) re-
porting attempted suicide. This fact was reflected
in Sri Lankan newspaper reports of female couple
suicides, as the WSG has observed.3
The stakeholder interviews provided an in-depth
understanding of the intensity and forms of anti-
gay attitudes and myths prevalent in sections of
contemporary Sri Lankan society. These inter-
views also helped identify potential allies across a
range of professions, including medicine, mental
health, education, religion and media.
For instance, a mental health professional who
3 In July 2005, Deepika and Chanika, two 15-year-old girls,
hugged each other and jumped in front of an oncoming
train in the Gampaha District (reported in Lankadeepa
– 22/07/2005); in August 2002, 18-year-old Sujani and
16-year-old Anoma hanged themselves from a rubber tree
in the Matale District. A suicide note left behind read, “Since
we cannot live together, we will die together” (reported
in Divaina – 23/08/2002); in October 2001, the bodies of
30-year-old Nandani and 21-year-old Shanika, hands tied
together by a piece of cloth, were found washed up on the
beach in the Galle District. There were no signs of murder,
rape or sexual abuse. Police investigations revealed love
letters that the young couple had written to each other
(reported in Lankadeepa – 05/11/2001).
had worked with many LBT people, especially in
the area of transgender issues, was aware of the
problems in the Sri Lankan mental health system
and the scarcity of specially trained professionals
working with LBT individuals. She identified
the need for more clinical psychologists to work
with LBT individuals and also stressed the need
to educate the public on issues relating to sexual
orientation, gender identity and gender expres-
sion. She said, “People have a right to live this
particular way as long as they are not into harmful
behaviours [sic].”4

DEDICATION
This study is dedicated to Sunila Abeysekera
(1952 – 2013), a founding member of the
Women’s Support Group (WSG), but most
importantly, a mentor and inspiration to all of
us who continue to advocate for the right to be
free from violence and discrimination based on
sexual orientation, gender identity and gender
expression.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The Women’s Support Group would like to thank
all the respondents who willingly shared their
stories of despair, hope, courage and resilience in
order to make this research possible. We are also
grateful to all the stakeholders who participated in
this study.

The WSG wishes to especially thank the

International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights
Commission (IGLHRC) for providing guidance
and support throughout this research.

Finally, we would like to express our sincere

gratitude to our funders, the Global Fund for
Women, IGLHRC and South Asia Women’s
Fund, who made this possible.

4 Interview with Mental Health Professional, Women’s Support

Group, Sri Lanka, July 14, 2011.

Sri Lanka: “Not Gonna Take It Lying Down” 203


INTERVIEWEE
DEMOGRAPHICS
SRI LANKA
SELF-IDENTIFICATION: SEXUAL ORIENTATION
BISEXUAL
LESBIAN “STRAIGHT GUY”
OTHER (gay, queer,
celibate,
or unsure)
Sexual Orientation: Of the 33 LBT interviews
conducted by the WSG, 22 were with self-identified
lesbians, two with bisexual women, and one with
a person who saw himself as a “straight guy.” The
remaining eight interviewees varied in defining their
sexual orientation – as gay, queer5, celibate, or unsure.
Some preferred to simply say they “liked women”
while others resisted labelling their sexual orientation.
SRI LANKA
SELF-IDENTIFICATION: GENDER IDENTITY OR EXPRESSION
WOMAN (masculine, butch, soft butch,
non-feminie, tomboyish, and or
"IN THE MIDDLE" male qualities)
"ANDROGYNOUS
MALE
Gender Identity or Expression: In terms of
gender identity, two of the interviewees identified
as male; three identified as neither male or female
but preferred to refer to themselves as being “in the
middle” or “androgynous;” 15 identified as female,
woman, and/or being feminine; and 13 identified
as women, but were quick to qualify that they were
either masculine, butch, soft butch, non-feminine,
tomboyish, and/or had male qualities.
5 For this research, we use the term ‘queer’ to represent people
with non-conforming sexual orientation, gender identity and
gender expression. One of the participants used the term
“queer” to identify herself as it provided a broader identity than
the term “lesbian.”
204 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
SRI LANKA
AGE RANGE
40 +
30-39
20-29
Age: Fourteen interviewees fell into the age range
of 20 to 29 years; twelve interviewees were between
30 and 39 years; and seven were above 40 years old.
Ethnicity: In terms of ethnicity, the sample
population had an over-representation of Sinhala
people (19); nine interviewees of mixed ethnicity
(Sinhala/Burgher or Sinhala/Tamil); three who
identified as Burghers; and two Tamils. Similarly
the number of Tamil interviewees was low, despite
recruitment efforts.
SRI LANKA
RELIGIOUS IDENTITY
FEMALE
FEMININE
Faith: Almost half of the number of interviewees
(16) had been born into Buddhist families,
but only ten of the total sample claimed to be
practicing Buddhists. Similarly, of the thirteen
interviewees who had been born into Christian
families, only eight were practicing Christians.
The others were Hindus, atheists, agnostics or did
not identify with any religion. Recruitment was
unsuccessful in the case of Muslim respondents.
Education: Fourteen interviewees had completed
tertiary education, eight interviewees held an un-
dergraduate degree, and eleven had postgraduate
qualifications.
Employment: Of the 33 respondents, 30 were
employed in the formal sector. In terms of annual in-
come, four interviewees earned below USD $3,000;
nine earned between USD $3,000 and 5,000; seven
earned between USD $5,000 and 10,000; and eight
earned more than USD $10,000. Two interviewees
did not have a fixed income.
Stakeholder Interviews: Of the 51 stakeholder
interviews, seven were conducted with people who
worked in state agencies; eleven with human
rights advocates (including lawyers and women’s
rights activists); seven with service providers
(including mental health and medical health
professionals); and 26 with employers and
representatives of media, religious and educational
institutions. Time constraints permitted the
analysis of only 30% of all stakeholder interviews
(i.e., 16 stakeholder interviews), and this limitation
may affect the conclusions in this chapter. However,
participant recruitment was designed to capture
a cross section of stakeholders, including at
least one person from each sub-category (i.e.,
educationists, employers, media, religious). All
stakeholder interviews were conducted in either
English or Sinhala, as those of Tamil ethnicity
preferred to speak in English.
The stakeholder interviews illuminated negative
social attitudes and myths about homosexuality in
Sri Lanka, providing useful insights for advocacy
strategies and service improvement. The most
common response by stakeholders across the spec-
trum was the conflation of homosexuality with
paedophilia, even in instances where such beliefs
contravene professional training, as stated by Dr.
Lakruwan, a medical health professional:
A homosexual person also cannot say who
he is [be open about his sexuality] because
it is looked upon with disgust. So all this
happens in secret... [and as a result] they
[gay men] also go after small children.6
6 Interview with Dr. Lakruwan, Medical Health Professional,
Women’s Support Group, Sri Lanka, August 13, 2011.
Another common response was the association of
homosexuality with HIV/AIDS/STDs. Mohomad,
a Muslim Maulavi (religious leader of Islam) says:
God has made 100% sure that if such
things exist between men or between
women... unidentifiable diseases that have
no medicine will be spread. The Quran
mentions that those who approve of such
things will die of humiliation and blame.7
A third response was that homosexuality was
inappropriate and ran counter to the existence of
cultural and religious sensitivities in the country
according to Menika, a school principal who
says that she “...cannot say that it is appropriate
when we consider our surroundings” (referring
to Sinhala and Tamil cultures).8 LBT people
were also viewed as “people who have some kind
of sexual or psychological disorder, who cannot
live in a normal way. Since they have no other
choice, they behave as homosexuals.”9
However, there is little basis for this perception
in the dominant cultural scripts. For instance, in
Buddhism, the country’s official religion, which is
practised by a majority of Sri Lankans, there is no
documented evidence of the Buddha professing
any views against homosexuality.10 The Vinaya
(monastic rules for the religious order) holds that
monks and nuns are not permitted to penetrate
any bodily orifices with their sexual organs; it
does not make a distinction between homosexual
and heterosexual activities, and the rule is only for
those who have taken religious vows.
7 Interview with Mohomad, Muslim Maulavi, Women’s Support
Group, Sri Lanka, August 1, 2011.
8 Interview with Menika, School Principal, Women’s Support
Group, Sri Lanka, June 16, 2011.
9 Interview with Sudath, media representative, Women’s
Support Group, Sri Lanka, August 9, 2012.
10 B ellanvila Sudaththa Thero and Cecil J. Dunne,
“Homosexuality, Buddhism and Sri Lankan Society,”
Groundviews, http://groundviews.org/2007/08/28/
homosexuality-buddhism-and-sri-lankan-society/.
Sri Lanka: “Not Gonna Take It Lying Down” 205
 and political figures. Such human rights violations,
HUMAN RIGHTS attributed to security forces and government-allied
paramilitary groups, continue to be reported.13 The
CONTEXT IN SRI LANKA number of prosecutions remains low and convic-
tions are even lower, especially in cases where state
Sri Lanka is a constitutional multiparty republic,
officials stand accused. This reflects an overall state
currently governed by its President, HE Mahinda
of impunity in the country which is characterized by
Rajapakse, who was re-elected to a second six-year
lengthy pre-trial detention, denial of fair trial, lack of
term in January 2010. Sri Lanka witnessed inter-
independence of the judiciary, lack of accountability
nal armed conflict for over 30 years in which the
measures for conflict-related crimes, lack of admin-
Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) engaged in a
istration of the rule of law, and lack of political will.
civil war with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
Reports also show restrictions of basic human rights,
(LTTE) who were fighting for a separate state in
including the freedom of expression, freedom of as-
the North and the East of the island. This conflict
sembly, and freedom of association and movement.14
claimed the lives of more than 70,000 Sri Lankans
and displaced thousands.11 The eventual military
Overall, the State’s reaction to any form of dis-
defeat of the LTTE in May 2009 ended in a bloody
sent has been contempt or denial. For instance,
battle, resulting in 40,000 Tamil civilian deaths
during 2011 and immediately thereafter, when a
and nearly 60,000 Tamil civilians injured. The
United States resolution on Sri Lanka was pend-
Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission
ing before the United Nations Human Rights
(LLRC), appointed by the President in May 2010,
Council scheduled for March 2012, Sri Lankan
is defined as a national accountability mechanism.
human rights defenders faced constant threats and
However, the LLRC does not meet international
experienced severe hardship.15 In many instances,
standards, especially in the area of accountability,
journalists, human rights defenders and those
and is considered deeply flawed by international
who criticise the government have been labelled
and intergovernmental human rights organizations
as “Tigers” (alleging that they support the LTTE),
for failing to investigate the systematic violations
terrorists, separatists or traitors. This reaction has
of human rights that occurred during the internal
had a tremendous impact on the work of human
conflict.12 The failures of the LLRC are indicative
rights defenders. They have been compelled to
of a deeper lack of political will to address human
confine their work to those issues that the govern-
rights violations more generally.
ment does not perceive as “sensitive.”16
In the aftermath of the conflict, the country still
In terms of a broad range of human rights
faces the challenge of building a just and peaceful
concerns, journalists face censorship and often
society that recognizes and respects the identities and
rights of all people, including women. There have
been reports of major human rights violations – un-
lawful killings, disappearances, arbitrary arrests, tor- 13 “ Human Rights Report, Sri Lanka,” US Department of State
ture and gender-based violence – committed against (2011), accessed on October 11, 2012, http://www.state.gov/j/
civilians, human rights defenders, media personnel drl/rls/hrrpt/2011/sca/186475.htm.

14 A /HRC/22/38, Human Rights Council, http://www.ohchr.org/

11 “ Q & A: Post-war Sri Lanka,” BBC News, September 20, 2013,
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-11393458
12 A /HRC/22/38, Human Rights Council, http://www.ohchr.
org/Documents/HRBodies/HRCouncil/RegularSession/
Session22/A-HRC-22-38_en.pdf; “Sri Lanka: Report Fails to
Advance Accountability,” Human Rights Watch, December 16,
2011, http://www.hrw.org/news/2011/12/16/sri-lanka-report-
fails-advance-accountability
Documents/HRBodies/HRCouncil/RegularSession/Session22/
A-HRC-22-38_en.pdf
15 “ Joint Statement by Sunila Abeysekara, Nimalka Fernando
and Pakiasothy Saravanamuttu,” March 23, 2012, http://www.
scribd.com/doc/86440203/joint-statement-sunila-abeysekara-
nimalka-fernando-and-dr-paikiasothy-saravanamuttu.
16 F or example, any issues dealing with the conflict or in relation
to post conflict human rights violations against the Tamil
minority are deemed “sensitive” issues by the government.

206 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
life-threatening risks.17 A large number of Tamils
remain in detention without being formally
charged. In addition, there is a lack of disaggre-
gated data in relation to ethnicity as this infor-
mation has not been provided by the authorities,
and non-governmental organizations can merely
provide varying estimates.
A distressing development has been the emergence
of extremist religious intolerance fuelled by a
group of militant Buddhists priests.18 New forms
of media such as Twitter and Facebook have
been used to spread the groups’ intolerance of
Muslims and instil a “fear psychosis” among the
greater population. Many of these militant groups
speculate that the last concluded census in 2011
showed a rapid growth in the birth rates of
Muslims, which they identify as a potential threat
to the Sinhala ethnic group. Although the activism
of these militant priests has largely targeted people
of minority ethnicities and religions, they enjoy
the tacit support of the government in spreading
majority Sinhala and Buddhist propaganda. Their
fear of Muslims outnumbering Sinhalese people in
Sri Lanka serves as the impetus for advocating that
Sri Lankan laws be changed to permit a Sinhalese
man to wed five women in order to propagate the
Sinhala race.19 Reportedly a government commu-
niqué has been issued to state hospitals to stop
implementing and administering all forms of
voluntary, irreversible family planning methods,
namely Ligation and Resection of Tubes (LRTs)
and vasectomies, unless done for medical purposes.20
17 “ VIDEO: I chased Poddala, warning to ‘traitors’ – Mervyn,”
Truth First (March 2012), accessed September 25, 2012, http://
www.adaderana.lk/news.php?nid=17473&mode=beauti.
18 “ Bodu Bala Sen and Buddhism’s militant face in Sri Lanka,”
Groundviews, January 15, 2013, http://groundviews.
org/2013/01/15/bodu-bala-sena-and-buddhisms-militant-face-
in-sri-lanka/; “Bodu Bala Sena a Threat to Sri Lanka’s Future,”
Groundviews, March 19, 2013, http://groundviews.org/2013/03/19/
bodu-bala-sena-a-threat-to-sri-lankas-future/; “The Muslims are
the New Tamils,” Lanka Standard, January 27, 2013, http://www.
lankastandard.com/2013/01/the-muslims-are-the-new-tamils/
19 “ Bodhu Bala Sena Wants Law Changed to Permit a Sinhalese Man
to Marry Five Wives to Propagate the Sinhala Race,” dbsjeyaraj.
com, January 23, 2013, http://dbsjeyaraj.com/dbsj/archives/15219
20 “Govt Bans LRT on Women and Vasectomy on Men After
NGOs working in the areas of contraception,
sexual health and family planning have reported
being instructed by the government to cease their
outreach work in this field.
The independence of the Police Commission, the
Human Rights Commission and the Judiciary was
compromised by the 2010 passage of the 18th
Amendment to the Constitution, which resulted
in presidential appointments being made to the
related public institutions. Previously, the 17th
Amendment to the Constitution (and Section
2 of the Act) provided that the members of the
Human Rights Commission would be appointed
by the President on the recommendation of the
Constitutional Council. This 18th Amendment
to the Constitution, which came into effect on
9 September 2010, established a Parliamentary
Council comprised of the Prime Minister, the
Speaker of the Parliament, the Leader of the Op-
position, a Member of Parliament nominated by
the Prime Minister, and a Member of Parliament
nominated by the Leader of the Opposition. The
President now has to “seek the observations of a
Parliamentary Council” (as opposed to obtaining
the Council’s approval) in making appointments
to the Human Rights Commission.
This situation of general impunity and lack of
judicial independence has made LBT people in
general more vulnerable and invisible. Their vul-
nerability and invisibility are compounded when
sexuality intersects with membership in another
disadvantaged group. For example, many lesbian,
gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) groups
report a lack of Tamil membership. In short, it
is clear that the human rights crisis facing the
country creates a complex context in which LBT
people find it even more difficult to effectively
advocate for their rights.219
Bodhu Bala Sena Protested Against Birth Control to Protect
Dwindling Sinhala Race,” dbsjeyaraj.com, February 24, 2013,
http://dbsjeyaraj.com/dbsj/archives/17118.
21 As in other South Asian countries, politicians and other
public figures in Sri Lanka often dismiss same-sex relations
as a Western way of life in order to justify the continued
criminalization of sexual activities between consenting adults
even in private spaces. For example in August 2008, the Sri
Sri Lanka: “Not Gonna Take It Lying Down” 207

MANIFESTATIONS OF
VIOLENCE BY NON-
STATE ACTORS AND
PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS
Emotional Violence
According to the definition of emotional vio-
lence in the research methodology, emotional
violence is a term that is often inter-changeably
used with mental and psychological abuse. Some
interviewees might be more comfortable calling
it a violation of their spirit or dignity. What is
important in this research are the behaviours or
actions that are experienced as emotionally /
psychologically / mentally / spiritually violating.
The types of actions or behaviours that constitute
emotional abuse in this research are: verbal abuse
(insults, taunts, swearing, put downs / personally
demeaning comments, allegations of abnormality);
threats (to harm self or others, to abandon, evict,
imprison, disclose sexual identity to others, etc);
controlling actions (for example, restricting socialis-
ing with family / friends / neighbours; invading
privacy, entering personal space); silent hostility
(for example non-verbal behaviours that express
contempt for, denial of and/or non-acceptance of
gender identity and sexual expression), neglect,
Lankan government hosted the 8th International Conference
of AIDS in the Asia Pacific (ICAAP). In spite of the government
taking this initiative to host this event which included many
sessions on sexuality, sexual health and the rights of sexual
minorities, at the end of the conference in response to
a comment raised on the unavailability of condoms for
participants of the conference by the ICAAP rapporteur,
the Minister of Health is quoted as replying “I don’t want
people to think I brought all of these people here to promote
lesbianism and homosexuality. There are many nice women
and handsome men in Sri Lanka. People in South Asia practice
good sexual behaviour with single partners. When the Western
world was living in the jungles, we were leading a civilised life.”
See M. Fernando, “Vagrant Voices,” Himal South Asia, Vol. 21
(3), (2008), accessed on February 8, 2013, http://himalmag.
com/component/content/article/1010-vagrant-voices.html.
208 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
(for example, withholding financial support,
denying human contact).
All LBT people interviewed for this study reported
experiencing emotional violence. As mentioned in
the introduction, LBT people experience this vio-
lence more intensely due to lack of a support system.
Given that it is customary for Sri Lankans to live
with their families until marriage (and at times, even
in the post-marriage period), this domestic set up can
add to the pressure on LBT persons who are already
facing emotional violence. It is not uncommon there-
fore for lesbians, bisexual women and transgender
people to use employment or education as a “reason”
to leave home (see the section on “Active/Activist
Responses” for a more detailed account of this).
There are different triggers to when emotional
violence occurs. However, emotional violence was
a common occurrence mostly in connection with
the discovery of an individual’s sexual orientation
or gender identity or in relation to an individual’s
“coming out” experience (where a person revealed
her sexuality or gender identity). The gender ex-
pression of some of the more boyish respondents
was also a cause for emotional abuse.
In a few cases, interviewees experienced violence
on the grounds of being women and being queer.
In such cases, when it was not just being queer
but being a woman who was queer that triggered
emotional violence, the data showed the inter-
sections between discrimination against women,
homophobic and transphobic violence.
Who perpetrates emotional violence varies. Often,
the perpetrators were the respondent’s family mem-
bers or the respondent’s partner’s family members.
In some cases, the violence was perpetrated by an
ex-partner, an ex-partner of a current partner, or a
peer. A few interviewees had experienced violence
or the threat of violence from strangers.
The ways that LBT individuals experience the
harassment, humiliation, power and control
associated with emotional violence were many.
This violence primarily involved an invasion of
privacy (more than three fourths, reported by 26 of
the 33 respondents); non-verbal or silent contempt
and hostility (more than half, reported by 19 of the
respondents); and emotional manipulation (more
than half, reported by 18 respondents).
More than half, (18 respondents) reported expe-
riencing restrictions on socializing, such as their
phone calls and letters being monitored; having
‘curfews’ imposed on them when their sexuality
became suspect; being chaperoned when leaving
the house; and being confined to the house due to
their sexual orientation or gender identity. Approx-
imately one third (13) had been forced to end their
same-sex relationships, and one third (13) believed
that their sexual orientation or gender identity was
met with silent hostility or was invisiblized in one
way or another (e.g., they were treated as if they
were not in the room and/or were spoken about in
the third person).
Interviewees reported facing a high degree of peer
teasing that often escalated into verbal harassment
and bullying, in addition to intentional emotional
abuse from peers, teachers, work colleagues, super-
visors, friends and state actors.
DKS, a 28-year-old feminine lesbian, lives with
her soft butch partner in a suburb of Colombo.
She spoke of their experience of facing prying eyes
and contempt at a place of worship. She said:
I go to church and then I stand there and I
think...you know, all these people are staring
at us, they clearly know that we’re a gay
couple or we’re a little out of the ordinary,
and I am sure some of them think, ‘What
the hell are they doing here?’22
One interviewee spoke of the non-verbal contempt
directed towards her by her previous partner’s
parents. Chandani is 39 years old, lives in Colombo,
and identifies as a feminine/soft butch lesbian. She
spoke about her ex-partner’s family, who felt that
she was “spoiling” (ruining) their daughter and
responded by rendering her invisible. She said:
22 Interview with DKS, Women’s Support Group, Sri Lanka, 18
September 2010.
That has happened to me a lot … [T]he
parents refused to acknowledge me at all,
even though I had dinner with them.23
Twenty-one-year-old Dhammi, a Sinhala Buddhist
and a resident of a Colombo suburb, does not
want to use a specific term to identify her sexual
orientation; instead, she prefers to “stay with both”
and describes her gender identity as being “in the
middle.” Dhammi spoke about how her brother
had emotionally manipulated or blackmailed her
once he found out that she was a lesbian. She said,
“He told me that he will not speak to me if I
continued my relationship with my girlfriend. He
also threatened to inform our parents about it.”24
Chamila is 36 years old and lives with her parents
in a Colombo suburb. She identifies as a lesbian
and prefers dressing in masculine attire. She referred
to an incident where her mother had taken her to
a mental health professional to try and “cure” her
gender non-conformity and her lesbianism. She said:
[My mother] said she was taking me to the
doctor’s for my headache. I was wondering
what headache I had… I didn’t say anything
then, but later I realized that she had taken
me to a mental doctor [psychologist].25
Verbal Abuse as Violence
Verbal abuse, a specific means of belittling
and demeaning someone through a barrage of
insults, derogatory comments and hate speech,
was a common experience across all age groups.
Perpetrators of verbal abuse ranged from family
members to neighbours, other members of the
LGBT community, ex-partners, employers and
prospective employers.
23 Interview with Chandani, Women’s Support Group, Sri Lanka,
17 November 2010.
24 Interview with Dhammi, Women’s Support Group, Sri Lanka,
19 January 2011.
25 Interview with Chamila, Women’s Support Group, Sri Lanka, 8
August 2011.
Sri Lanka: “Not Gonna Take It Lying Down” 209
Kuma is 47 years old and lives in a suburb of
Colombo. She identifies as a lesbian and says she
prefers men’s casual wear. She spoke to us about the
street-based verbal harassment she faced as a result
of her masculine gender expression. She said:
Once when I was walking in Pettah with a
girl I was holding her hand, honestly because
she was my friend and I didn’t want her to
get lost in the crowd. Then I heard one guy
say, ‘Hey machang,26 I haven’t had an Aappa27
in a long time, hope I get one today.’28
Chandani spoke about a specific incident where
she and her partner at the time were verbally
abused by some neighbours. She said:
I was seeing this girl, and I went to her
house, and it was late at night, maybe
eleven or twelve [midnight] and we went
into her house. As soon as we shut the
gate, some guys from the top of the road
came and banged on her gate and started
shouting Aappa, Aappa at us.29
Some individuals interviewed for this project
reported that because of their sexual orientation
or gender expression, they were perceived as “sick”
and in need of a “cure.”
For instance, Skinner is 34 years old and lives in Col-
ombo. Biologically female, he describes his sexual ori-
entation and gender identity in two words: “straight
guy.” He said, “If someone finds me odd, you know,
they’d say names. I’ve been called ponnaya,30 or they
would say, ‘is this a man or woman.’”31 His mother
26 Machang – Colloquial Sinhala term for mate/friend/buddy
27 A appa – Sinhala derogatory slang for lesbian. Also a bowl
shaped pancake made of rice flour that is ‘usually consumed
for breakfast or dinner.
28 Interview with Kuma, Women’s Support Group, Sri Lanka, May
10, 2011.
29 Interview with Chandani, Women’s Support Group, Sri Lanka,
November 17, 2010.
30 Sinhala slang for effeminate man.
31 Interview with Skinner, Women’s Support Group, Sri Lanka,
210 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
has been forcibly taking him to religious/medical
men. He said:
Sri Lankan Buddhists are like 90 per cent
Hindus, and they all go to these places –
you know – fortune tellers and horoscope
and stuff like that, and they also have
another person, or the same person, giving
Ayurvedic medicine [herbal medicine] at
the same place. So I was taken to that place
last month also.32
Finally, fourteen interviewees said that their sexual
orientation or gender identity was revealed with-
out their consent to other people such as friends,
families, the public-at-large (i.e., through media),
other students at education institutes, colleagues,
and unknown bystanders, resulting in their being
made more vulnerable to the possibility of losing
employment, family support, housing and more.
A total of 21 interviewees reported being verbally
threatened with personal harm or harm to loved
ones. The verbal threats were communicated directly
to the victims or to someone associated with the vic-
tims. Physical violence such as slapping and punch-
ing accompanied verbal threats in fifteen cases.
Twenty-nine-year-old Anu, a Tamil bisexual
woman, explained to us that she has experienced
threats from “people who say that they will
castrate [my] friends. That they would beat us up
with hockey sticks, set us on fire, those kinds of
things have been told.”33
Chamila said that her partner’s family had neither
met her nor said anything directly to her, “but
apparently they have said [to my partner] that if
they meet me they will slap me.”
In July 1999 when the Women’s Support Group
announced its intention of holding a conference for
October 7, 2011.
32 Interview with Skinner, Women’s Support Group, Sri Lanka,
October 7, 2011.
33 Interview with Anu, Women’s Support Group, Sri Lanka, May
13, 2011.
lesbians, it was met with fierce public opposition.
One of these protests came in the form of a letter
to the editor, published by the English language
newspaper, The Island, which went so far as to ad-
vocate the rape of women attending the conference
by a team of convicted rapists. When a complaint
was filed against the newspaper, the Press Council
of Sri Lanka defended the newspaper and con-
demned lesbianism as “sadistic and salacious.”34
Violence of Cultural Norm and
Gender Norm Enforcement
Twelve out of 33 interviews highlighted the
constant pressures that butch lesbians and trans-
gender people face in having to perform and
live according to culturally expected gender
norms—from being forced to marry, to having to
wear particular clothes and maintaining certain
hairstyles—all of which were experienced as psy-
chological and emotional violence. Cultural and
gender norm enforcement was also experienced
as violence when interviewees were quizzed about
their gender identity when using public toilets.
Similarly, some interviewees were forced to keep
their sense of self a secret and not look “too gay”
in order to keep the family reputation intact.
Some interviewees also spoke of being denied
jobs or promotions on the basis of their gender
expression – “not looking feminine enough” – and
losing employment because their identity cards
did not match their appearance.
Physical Violence
Interview analysis established a crucial finding,
chiefly that the family and domestic space were
two key (related) factors that, first, shaped how
LBT people viewed physical violence against
them, and, second, whether or not they reported
the violence. (For more information about report-
34 M
 . Fernando, “Vagrant Voices,” Himal South Asia, Vol. 21 (3),
(2008), accessed on February 8, 2013, http://himalmag.com/
component/content/article/1010-vagrant-voices.html.
ing violence, see the section on Access to Redress
in this chapter.)
Twelve out of 33 interviewees spoke of on-going
physical violence in their lives.35 Twenty-six out of
33 interviewees shared stories of battery.
Perpetrators included immediate family members,
strangers, peers, partners, ex-partners and neigh-
bours. Significantly, twelve such incidents were
cases of partner violence.
DKS recalled an incident where she was at a
nightclub dancing with her partner. She said:
You know people generally tend to stare
anyway, when we dance there...and this
guy actually, like, came, you know, and
stepped on my foot or rubbed shoulders
with me...and I think he did it on purpose
because I think he was quite tickled that I
was dancing with a girl that looked like a
guy … I think he wanted to start a fight,
because my partner and I looked gay.36
Thirty-four-year-old Sandra identifies as a lesbian/
dyke and views herself as a “masculine female.”
She spoke about being accosted by a group of
strangers at the car park of a popular nightclub in
Colombo because they had noticed her dancing
with a girl. She said:
I remember two guys holding me from
my shoulder, pinning me down from my
shoulder against the wall and hitting me
in my stomach. I remember breaking
loose, hitting one guy in the face, and I
cracked his lip and that’s what got them
to go, ‘Whoa! You know, she’s not gonna
take it lying down.’ … When they knew I
35 D
 uring the interviews, if there were any interviewees who
were either experiencing ongoing violence or who were
feeling troubled/depressed after the interview, the researchers
conducting the interviews were advised by the WSG to offer
the name and number of a designated therapist who would be
available to meet with any of the respondents.
36 Interview with DKS, Women’s Support Group, Sri Lanka,
September 18, 2010.
Sri Lanka: “Not Gonna Take It Lying Down” 211
 was not going to stop fighting back, they
ran off and I just got into a tuk tuk.37
Chamila spoke to us about how she was beaten
by her father at age 25 when a former partner,
upset by the breakup, disclosed Chamila’s sexual
orientation to Chamila’s family.
Sexual Violence
Interview data revealed that 18 out of 33 inter-
viewees had faced some form of sexual violence.
Experiences of sexual violence ranged from
rape to sexual assault. Family members, friends,
employers or superiors, unknown persons and col-
leagues were the perpetrators.
To threaten someone with rape is to make someone
feel unsafe in their own body, in their most fun-
damental and intimate sense of self. For instance,
Roshmi is a 39-year-old, lesbian-identified woman
who currently lives with her partner in a suburb in
Colombo. When she and her partner were living
in the North Central Province, she said, “Even the
neighbours who were friendly towards us had said
they would forcibly rape us,” once they found out
that they were a lesbian couple.38 Even though this
threat was not carried out, Roshmi and her partner
lived in constant fear and were eventually forced to
move to Colombo for their own safety.
LBT people were also viewed as “people who
have some kind of sexual or psychological
disorder, who cannot live in a normal way...”
A bisexual woman’s boyfriend used her past
lesbian experiences to justify repeatedly raping
her. Twenty-eight-year-old Christy (who has a
feminine gender expression) described how her
boyfriend at the time forced her to have sex with
him. She said:
37 A tuk tuk is a three-wheeled taxi.
38 Interview with Roshmi, Women’s Support Group, Sri Lanka,
January 6, 2012.
212 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
It was like 24/7 sex for him, and I felt that,
you know, he was raping me. He forced
me to have sex with him...even if I said no
to that, you know, he used to push me into
it and ask me ‘Why?’ if I refuse, and say
things like, ‘You don’t like me anymore,’
‘You don’t love me anymore,’ ‘But I need
it,’ something like that. He also used to tell
me to imagine that I was with my girl-
friend. And he used to tell me ‘I’m going to
do you so that, you know, she can watch’
or something like that.39
Sri Lankan law specifically excludes marital rape
from criminal sanctions, contributing to a situation
where rape in intimate relationships is considered
less serious than stranger rape. This legal blindness
on marital rape creates an even more permissive
and potentially abusive relationship for sex between
people who are not married.
In this instance, Christy’s past erotic bonds with
women were readily exploitable, objectified by the
male gaze as lurid pornographic fantasies of two
women together. This should not be forgotten,
just as much as the physical violence, since what
was manifest more than anything (according to
her interview) was his sense of unquestionable
male and heterosexual prerogative over her—that
he could assert his desires and make her experi-
ences and will subordinate to his needs.
H is 23 years old and identifies as “gay.” Her
gender identity is female and gender expression
is masculine. H spoke to us about an incident of
unwanted sexual touching when she was on her
way home from a nightclub. She said:
I was going home in a trishaw after
partying at Amuseum,40 and this tuk tuk
driver started talking to me. Since I look
like a boy, usually nothing happens. But I
think this time this guy kind of [may have]
figured out that I was a girl [but wanted
39 Interview with Christy, Women’s Support Group, Sri Lanka,
February 16, 2011.
40 A popular nightclub in Colombo.
 to make sure coz I didn’t look like a girl].
So he was being weird. I gave him five
hundred rupees, and my house is very close
to Amuseum, like walking distance.41 So it
would have only cost like a hundred rupees
or something. And then, instead of giving
me my change, he was like, ‘Malli katata
gannawada, ethakota dennam’ (‘Younger
brother, give me a blow job, and I’ll give
you your change.’). And I said pissuda!!
(Are you mad!!) and then he said ‘Kollekda?
Kellekda?’ (‘[are you a] boy or a girl?’) And
I was like, Panseeya aran yanna (Take the
500 rupees and leave.). And then he just
grabbed me from the hand and almost felt
me up. I just ran away.42
This incident highlights the vulnerability to
violence of those who do not fit into the normative
binary gender categories of male or female. Despite
her subversive gender presentation, H’s sense of
safety also comes from being perceived to be one or
the other—usually male.
CHAMILA
Chamila is 36 years old, single, and lives in a suburb
of Colombo, Sri Lanka, with her parents. She is ethnically
Sinhalese, and a Buddhist, and has completed tertiary
education. She works for the State Security Forces and
earns less than approximately USD $300 a month.
Chamila identifies as lesbian and butch. She realised
that she was a lesbian at the age of 22 when she was
attracted to women. She had a close friendship with
one woman, which developed into a sexual experience
after a year. She disclosed her sexual orientation to
a few selected friends and to her boss at the age of
25. Chamila was “outed” publicly when a jilted lover
made a scene outside her house, exposing Chamila’s
sexuality and their relationship to the neighbourhood.
Her family was extremely disturbed by this incident,
41 Approximately equal to USD $5.
42 Interview with H, Women’s Support Group, Sri Lanka, February
12, 2011.
This might not be so ironic in the light of this
incident where it appears that the uncertainty of
H’s gender was made capital of—in fact made the
occasion of an attempt to sexually exploit her. The
precise motives of the tuk tuk driver are unclear
(whether purely commercial or sexual or both), but
his behaviour is clearly opportunistic. This illus-
trates how it is possible to exploit gender ambiguity
(quite profitably) in a societal context where the
norm is to conform to stereotypically demarcated
categories of “male” and “female.” Those who are
clearly neither one nor the other are always already
aware of their vulnerability to such exploitation,
and of the fact that there is little or no recourse for
the violence except to physically escape.
A similar experience was recounted by Indrani, a
32-year-old lesbian resident of a Colombo suburb.
Indrani views her gender identity as being ‘in the
middle’ – neither feminine nor masculine. She
spoke to us about an incident where she had been
subjected to sexual harassment as a result of her
gender non-conformity.
and Chamila was given a beating by her father.
Chamila’s mother made her visit a psychologist on the
pretext of getting her a headache remedy. In addition,
Chamila faced intimate partner violence at the age of
30. She has also experienced discrimination and sexual
harassment at her workplace, but never filed a complaint
because she did not feel she would be protected by
the law. She has been overlooked in selections for a
sports team, and has twice been approached by seniors
at her office to perform sexual favours with their wives
and girlfriends. She has also been approached for sex
by a senior colleague. She has been the object of her
seniors’ taunts at the workplace. Chamila counts on her
lesbian friends, an LBT organization, and a colleague at
work for support.
Sri Lanka: “Not Gonna Take It Lying Down” 213
 Indrani: One day a man came and
squeezed my breasts. We had gone to a
carnival. A few boys were joking at us from
a distance. We were there with lots of our
friends [when this happened]. But when I
looked back I didn’t know who had done
it. We were in the midst of a crowd.
Interviewer: Do you think it happened
because you looked different?
Indrani: Yes! They can’t bear us. We wear
shoes and jeans and we smoke.43
As in H’s case, Indrani also faced sexual harassment
because her gender expression was neither ‘feminine’
nor ‘masculine’. She was groped sexually by strangers
who not only wished to establish her gender identity
but also wished to convey the message that she and
her friends were being closely watched.
Intimate Partner Violence
Intimate partner violence (IPV) spanned emo-
tional, physical and sexual violence. Because of the
stigma associated with homosexuality and trans-
genderism in Sri Lanka, intimate partner violence
in LBT relationships is enormously difficult to
grapple with; when one’s partner becomes abusive,
it can seem impossible to seek help. When one is
bisexual and with an opposite-sex partner, one’s
past homosexual experiences can be used against
them. While 26 out of 33 interviewees had faced
physical violence from an intimate partner, 11 out
of the 26 had experienced emotional, physical and/
or sexual violence at the hands of their partners.
For some, intimate partner violence happened on a
single occasion, and the individual managed to break
free. Sachini, 36, identifies as a lesbian and is a res-
ident of a Colombo suburb. She spoke to us about
how her break-up with her same-sex partner led
to her being subject to physical violence and being
confined to a room for a couple of hours. She said:
43 Interview with Indrani, Women’s Support Group, Sri Lanka,
April 28, 2011.
214 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
I was in a room, and [she] came in, and
she locked the room so that I couldn’t go
out. Because I was not talking to her... she
locked the room so that I couldn’t go out.
She threw me on the bed ... she wasn’t
rational. And I think she was also very
drunk. So my reply was that we would talk
in the morning ... but she wouldn’t accept
it. So then she wouldn’t let me leave the
room [and physically restrained me]. And
I had to be ... rescued practically. The door
had to be ... opened forcibly by others and
she had to be forced [to let go of me].44
For others, violence was chronic. For instance,
Sandra spoke about the physical and emotional
violence she faced in a three-year relationship.
She said:
She was mainly very jealous, very jealous,
and very possessive, like I couldn’t look
at someone ... Someone looked at me,
[and] I’d get slapped .... If she was hav-
ing a bad ... time at home or at work...
and if I got like five minutes late to get
home, she’d accuse me of ... screwing
around. And she’d get violent .... she’d
throw things at me ... she’d claw me ...
she’d bite me ... she head-butted me and
broke my nose ... but I was in that rela-
tionship for three and a half years.45
For others, violence would erupt in conjunction
with the abuser’s chronic substance use. Kamala,
a 59-year-old woman and a resident of a Colombo
suburb, describes her sexual orientation as something
that moved from heterosexuality to lesbianism.
Kamala spoke to us about her second relationship,
which she described as being “very abusive.” She
recalled, “In my stupidity I had believed that
alcoholism is something that you can cure by
44 Interview with Sachini, Women’s Support Group, Sri Lanka,
April 4, 2011. The phrasing in square brackets were requested
by Sachini because she felt more specific descriptions would
enable identification of people involved in the incident.
45 Interview with Sandra, Women’s Support Group, Sri Lanka,
September 18, 2010.
loving people ... and so ... I was not able to stop
the alcoholism ... even though I tried, and … the
person was a very violent alcoholic ... and tried to
harm herself as well as me, as well as others in the
vicinity, and that was really disastrous.”46
Christy shared her experience of a relationship with
a guy who knew that she was bisexual. She said:
The Domestic Violence Act has not been tested
against 365A. The ambiguity between having
legal recourse under the anti-domestic violence
law while also being at risk for penalties under the
anti-sodomy law further deters women experienc-
ing violence in same-sex relationships from filing
complaints or seeking protection orders.

Once I went out for this ‘Lady’s Night’

[themed party] and came home, and the
DISCRIMINATION AT
first question that he asked was ‘With
whom did you sleep?’ And I said, what do
THE WORKPLACE
you mean? He was like ‘Obviously you were For the purpose of this research discrimination is
with your friends, and you know no guys considered as violence if the discriminatory acts result
can get into that club. So with whom did in violence. For example, as in the following instances:
you sleep?’ I said nobody. Then he slapped
• If the act of discrimination causes physical or
me, and that was it for the relationship ... it
psychological harm, or increases the severity
was more like a big slap on my face and he,
or frequency of physical violence;
you know, tried to choke me.47
• If the discrimination compounds a situation
Although Section 23 of the Prevention of Domestic that ends up causing or leading to violence;
Violence Act of 2005 allows for cohabiting
• If the discrimination contributes to particular
partners to seek redress through the Act, none
types of violence and/or invites certain types
of the above interviewees reported any of these
of violators;
incidents to the police due to the fact that they
were all in same-sex relationships. Consensual same- • If discrimination becomes the justification
sex sexual activity can be read by police as criminal for violence by state and private actors;
activity under Section 365A of the Penal Code,
• If discrimination serves as a rationale for the
which covers a whole range of sexual behaviours,
state’s inaction when violence occurs;
including between heterosexuals, but is used to
criminalize male homosexuality and lesbianism. • If discrimination results in institutional
mistreatment of LBT victims of violence.
Historically, 365A targeted gay men and men who
Four interviewees spoke about experiences of
have sex with men. The language of this law was
emotional, physical and sexual abuse at the work-
amended in 1995, which criminalized lesbianism.48
place as a result of discrimination against them.

46 Interview with Kamala, Women’s Support Group, Sri Lanka,

Christy, a bisexual women, spoke about how her
May 31, 2011. CEO had sexually harassed her and summoned her
to his cubicle after work hours despite her repeated
47 Interview with Christy, Women’s Support Group, Sri Lanka,
February 16, 2011.
refusals. This situation was exacerbated after one of
her Directors “outed” (revealing a person’s sexual
48 In 1995, the Sri Lankan Penal Code was substantially amended
for the first time in over a century, the focus of alteration being
sexual offences (including rape, abortion, sexual harassment
committing an unnatural offence. For more details see Y. Tambiah,
and unnatural offences, the latter being the law that criminalized
“ (Im)moral Citizens: Sexuality and the Penal Code in Sri Lanka,”
homosexual acts). The reforms included developing gender
In A.J. Canagaratna (Ed.), Neelan Tiruchelvam Commemoration
neutral language for perpetrators of sexual offences, which led
Conference Papers (Colombo: ICES, 2004), 107 – 141.
to the criminalization of lesbian sexual acts for the first time. The
revised language now refers to ‘any persons’ instead of ‘any man’

Sri Lanka: “Not Gonna Take It Lying Down” 215

orientation or gender identity without permission
or inadvertently) Christy to the CEO, who
then invited her to perform sexual acts with other
women for his viewing pleasure. Christy said:
He came up with this idea that he’ll
introduce me to another girl and wanted
to know whether he could watch while I
had sex with her. And it was very sicken-
ing .... because of that reason I wanted
to leave my job. Because when he got to
know that I love women more than men,
then he always kept coming up with ideas
such as these. Every time I see him ... I
just want to run because I know that even
he is just looking at me, he looks at me
in a very odd way like. And then some-
times, you know, since he has my mobile
number, he would text me saying, ‘How is
your girlfriend?’ or ‘Can you send pictures
of her?’ and ‘How are your private parts?’
... I was so harassed and mentally down
and I really didn’t want to work. And you
know, in my office, people just gossip and
if you don’t sleep with the manager, you
don’t get anything. You don’t get salary
increments, you don’t get promotions,
nothing. So I’m stuck in the same place as
a customer care person; I work like a dog
and I don’t get salary increments because
of the reason that I don’t sleep around.
And in my office, from the security guard
to the management, they all want to
know details about my personal life ...
and the situation is so bad ... I can’t tell
them or introduce my girlfriend as my
‘partner’ because then they want to know
if they can ‘join’ or if they can ‘watch.’
Those are the questions they would ask.
Christy’s experience of sexual harassment at work
is not uncommon for many women. However,
it was clearly exacerbated by her being a bisexual
woman who was at the time in a relationship
with a woman. It was difficult for her to access
any formal redress without being subject to further
harassment and abuse by her employer.
Most sexual harassment policies in both public
216 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
and private employment settings do not include
harassment on the grounds of sexual orientation
although the 2013 Code of Conduct and Guide-
lines on Sexual Harassment at the Workplace
defines sexual harassment as harassment that is
based on “sex and/or sexuality” and could in-
clude verbal harassment that refers to a person’s
“sexual identity.”
Indrani, a lesbian with masculine gender expres-
sion, reported that she had faced discrimination
at her previous workplace in relation to employee
housing. She said:
When we are working, boys and girls all
work together. But when it comes to
sleeping, bathing and reserving rooms, the
management separates us from the other
girls, saying that we are abnormal. They do
not like to stay with us. Because they don’t
like us, we have been given separate places.49
Skinner, an FTM, pointed out that, many times,
his female-to-male status affects his chances of
finding suitable employment. He said:
On all my documentation, my name is
different [feminine] and my gender is
different [masculine]. So when I appear
in front of them [prospective employers],
it’s someone else they see. So some
people find bad excuses saying, ‘sorry
we can’t hire you’ or ‘we will let you
know.’ But some have been really rude
saying things like, ‘you can never get a
job like [looking like] this!’ or ‘why are
you dressing like a man?’ or ‘why can’t
you be normal?’50
49 Interview with Indrani, Women’s Support Group, Sri Lanka,
April 28, 2011.
50 Interview with Skinner, Women’s Support Group, Sri Lanka,
October 7, 2011.
 CHRISTY
28-year-old Christy was born in Kandy, but currently
lives in Colombo with her girlfriend. Ethnically Sinhalese,
she was born into a Roman Catholic family but says that
she “hardly goes to church” and practises her religion in
her “own way.” Christy currently works in Colombo as a
customer care executive at a private company. Her per-
ception of her gender identity is that it is 75% feminine
and 25% tomboyish. She does not use a specific term
to describe her sexual orientation, but says she is “100%
happy with a woman rather than being with a man.”
Four years ago, when Christy was 24 years old, she
told her brother that she preferred women over men as
sexual partners. Although at first he did not take it seri-
ously and did not want to talk about it, eventually he was
in support of her preferences and asked her to make
her own choices when her parents were trying to force
her into marriage. When Christy came out to her aunt
at age 21, she met with an unexpected reaction. Instead
of being supportive of Christy’s choices, her aunt made
sexual advances towards her. A couple of years after this
Chamila, a lesbian state sector employee spoke of
discrimination and sexual harassment at the hands
of her supervisors on two separate occasions. In the
first instance, one of her supervisors (approximately
59 years old) asked her to have sex with his wife,
who he claimed was also a lesbian.
“He called me to be with his wife. I told him that I
was not a person who would go behind any old
woman and that I was not ready to fulfil each
one’s wish and that I didn’t like it.”51 He had also
offered to grant her a job transfer. At the time of
these incidents, Chamila wanted to be transferred
to the head office in the capital, Colombo. Her
supervisor used this to rationalize the demands
for sexual favours. When Chamila refused to
comply, her employer rejected the job transfer
request and passed her over for a promotion.
51 Interview with Chamila, Women’s Support Group, Sri Lanka,
August 8, 2011.
incident, when Christy’s uncle found out that Christy had
a girlfriend instead of a boyfriend, he tried to forcibly
show her porn and stalked her on Facebook by making
rude comments on her page.
Apart from these experiences of physical, sexual and
emotional abuse, Christy also faced physical and sexual
abuse from her ex-boyfriend who shoved, pushed, and
throttled her, and constantly forced sex on her after he
found out about her past experiences with women. At
her workplace, the then CEO would constantly harass
her with crude SMS messages asking her how her “pri-
vate parts” were and whether he could “join” or “watch”
when she was having sex with her girlfriend. As a result
of this physical, sexual and emotional abuse, Christy be-
gan to exhibit self-harming behaviour, which included
cutting herself and burning herself with cigarette butts.
She even notes that, to date, even though she thinks
about committing suicide when “it’s really hard,” she is
unable to trust anyone to talk about it after her abusive
experiences with her aunt and uncle.
Chamila also spoke of how another male supervisor
at the same workplace became verbally abusive
after a colleague “outed” her [to him]. “Apparently
... someone had told some tale about me. So he
called me and scolded me in front of about four
or five others. He used some swear words and
the word ‘Aappa.’”
Government authorities have not adopted any
formal policies on sexual harassment in the
workplace. There is no formal policy in the
corporate sector either although some private
companies regard such a policy as a progressive
mechanism, which they voluntarily develop and
adopt. Even in this instance, the sexual harassment
policies do not have explicit provisions that prevent
harassment on the basis of sexual orientation,
gender identity or gender expression.52
52 See earlier reference to 2013 Code of Conduct and Guidelines
on Sexual Harassment at the Workplace.
Sri Lanka: “Not Gonna Take It Lying Down” 217
 As per the Vagrants Ordinance of 1842,55
VIOLENCE AND anyone deemed to be “loitering in public” can
be questioned by police. This law is used to target
DISCRIMINATION BY masculine-looking lesbians and transgender persons
of lower socio-economic status, rendering them
STATE ACTORS most vulnerable to police abuses. Police raids on the
beachfront area generally result in detention (where
The interviews revealed that 13 out of 33 inter-
physical and sexual violence take place). Release from
viewees had experienced violence from state officials,
detention is often conditional on paying a bribe.56
mainly the security forces and the police. Violence
committed by state officials renders lesbians, bisexual
Transgender persons and lesbians with a masculine
women and transgender people vulnerable in par-
appearance have also reported harassment at security
ticular ways. For instance, in such cases, reporting
checkpoints from security forces personnel who have
the violence is not a straightforward option because
been known to ask insulting questions if the picture
of fear of reprisals including the potential for being
and name on identity cards do not match the security
charged with homosexuality or otherwise criminal-
officers’ perceptions of masculinity and femininity.
ized for one’s gender identity or gender expression.
Sandra spoke about how she would often be
Indrani, a masculine-looking lesbian described an
mistaken for a man at military checkpoints in
encounter with the police on one occasion when
Colombo. She said:
she and her female friend (who had a feminine
gender expression) were dining at a restaurant
I’ve had a lot of guys check my ID and
on the beachfront. The beachfront areas are well
ask me why I have a girl’s name and then
known for police raids on heterosexual couples
I turn around and say, ‘Yes Officer, that’s
who meet in this area.53 Indrani said:
because I’m a girl.’ Some guys have said,
‘Are you a Miss or a Sir?’ and I turn it
After having our dinner, my friend and I
around and say, the ID card will tell you
chatted till about 8pm and left the restaurant.
whether I’m female or male, so why don’t
When we came out, there were a few police-
you check that first. So that really pisses
men outside and they were checking all the
me off and I try to set them straight right
people on the beach. They were especially
from the beginning.57
checking [straight] couples, who were near
the bushes. We were walking towards the
Some interviewees also spoke of failed attempts to
road from the beach. As we were coming
obtain state services such as pension schemes and
out from the restaurant, two policemen
bank loans on the basis of a shared income with their
stopped us and asked us where we were
same-sex partner. They considered this denial to be
going. We told them we had had dinner at
an instance of institutionalised state discrimination.
the restaurant and were now going home.
We even showed them the bill [from the
restaurant]. They said that we were loiter-
April 28, 2011.
ing on the beach and took us to the police
station for further questioning.54 55 “Vagrants Ordinance,” Sri Lanka Penal Code, http://www1.umn.
edu/humanrts/research/srilanka/statutes/Vagrants_Ordinance.pdf

56 F or more details on police raids against nachchi (transgender)

53 S ince most Sri Lanka youth live with their families and since sex workers in Sri Lanka see Andrea Nichols, “Dance Ponnay,
pre-marital sex is frowned upon, [heterosexual] young people Dance! Police Abuses Against Transgender Sex Workers in
who cannot afford to meet in private spaces meet on the beach. Sri Lanka,” Feminist Criminology, April 2010 vol. 5 no. 2 195,
“Near the bushes” in the quote is a reference to [heterosexual] http://fcx.sagepub.com/content/5/2/195
couples who take refuge in the shrubbery in this area.
57 Interview with Sandra, Women’s Support Group, Sri Lanka,
54 Interview with Indrani, Women’s Support Group, Sri Lanka, September 18, 2010.

218 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
Seven interviewees reported facing violence from
state sector service providers including mental
health and medical professionals. Some of the vio-
lence took the form of being forcibly taken to reli-
gious institutions, hospitals, medical services, and
mental health services to “be cured,” often accom-
panied by a parent.58 One interviewee even stated
that her partner’s family had used electro-shock
therapy on her partner in order to “cure” her.59
ACCESS TO REDRESS
I knew I couldn’t go to the police. What
was I going to say? – ‘You know they beat
me up ‘coz I danced with some girls?’ It
was just going to get me into even more
trouble, and I was alone...So I just got
into a tuk and went home.60
– Sandra, 34 years old, butch lesbian
This research thus suggests that incidents of physical
violence, both in the public and private spheres,
remain under-reported and undocumented, and
that LBT people who experience physical violence
rarely seek compensation, redress or even counselling
from mental health service providers who work with
women who have experienced violence – such as
domestic violence programs or support groups.
A key issue faced by all interviewees is that they have
no access to redress. As mentioned above, when
describing their experiences of violence at the hands
of family members, many interviewees had difficulty
associating a family member with the term “perpetra-
tor” and were reluctant to report the violence to the
police or any other organization, especially when
the violence took place in the private space of the
58 See interview by Chamila and Skinner for more details of
how interviewees were forcibly taken to religious and medical
institutions to be cured.
59 Interview with Roshmi, Women’s Support Group, Sri Lanka,
January 6, 2012.
60 Interview with Sandra, Women’s Support Group, Sri Lanka,
September 18, 2010.
family home. Some interviewees said that they were
reluctant to report violence in the home to police
because this would entail placing a family member in
the hands of the law. Similarly, interviewees did not
want the risk of unwelcome publicity or the likeli-
hood of exposing the family to shame and ridicule.
When they were the victims of violence in a public
space, such as on the street, at community gatherings,
in public transport, or at the workplace – and
targeted for their gender non-conformity or sexual
orientation – there was reluctance to report the
violence for fear of being personally exposed as
LBT.61 Even when the crime is not related to their
sexuality or gender identity, LBT individuals feel
vulnerable because of a Penal Code provision that
can be read to criminalize adult consensual same-
sex sexual activity. In fact, some of the LBT people
we spoke to specifically cited both Section 365A of
the Penal Code and the Vagrants Ordinance as rea-
sons used to target them for arrest and harassment.62
Police in Sri Lanka are generally perceived by the
LBT community as dangerous. A reason for this
perception is that police officers use blackmail and
violence against people who they perceive to be ho-
mosexual, bisexual or transgender.63 In this context,
interviews revealed that LBT persons doubted the
possibility of getting redress for violence by police.
Additionally, the court system in Sri Lanka is
generally not victim-friendly.64 Court hearings
61 Interviewees feared being exposed for multiple reasons: some
feared that their families would find out that their sexual
orientation, while others feared that they would be opening
themselves up for police harassment and /or arrest under
Section 365A of the Penal Code.
62 S ection 365A of the Penal Code (Amendment), http://www.
aidscontrol.gov.lk/web/Web%20uploads/Policy%20or%20Law/
Penal%20Code%20(Amendment)%20Act,%20No.%2022%20
of%201995.pdf. And see earlier reference to Vagrants Ordinance.
63 A ndrea Nichols, “Dance Ponnay, Dance! Police Abuses Against
Transgender Sex Workers in Sri Lanka,” Feminist Criminology, April
2010 vol. 5 no. 2 195, http://fcx.sagepub.com/content/5/2/195
64 In the Kamal Addararachchi Rape Case, the judgment of the High
Court for the victim was subsequently overturned in the Sri Lanka
Supreme Court and the judge of the High Court was accused
of mollycoddling the witness for taking measures to hold closed
Sri Lanka: “Not Gonna Take It Lying Down” 219
are open to the public, which deters most people
from reporting violence they experience to the
police so as to avoid going to court. They fear that
their sexual orientation and gender identity could
be exposed in open court when the reasons for the
violence are revealed.
Furthermore, as mentioned earlier in this chapter,
the Human Rights Commission, the Police Com-
mission, the Public Services Commission, and the
Judicial Services Commission are not trusted to
function independently since these commissions
are made up of presidential appointees.65
IMPACT OF VIOLENCE,
RESPONDING AND
COPING
This research also examined how lesbians, bisexual
women and transgender people responded to
violence. While some LBT interviewees felt that
the best way to deal with a difficult situation was
to leave/ignore the discriminatory situation or
site of violence, others reacted by confronting the
situation at hand. For the purpose of this research,
we have categorized three distinct responses that
were used by LBT respondents:
1. Affective response;
2. Passive response;
3. Active/activist response.
door sessions. See “The pendulum swings again,” Sunday Times,
January 7, 2001, http://www.sundaytimes.lk/010107/news4.html.
65 C hapter VII(a) of the 18th Amendment to the Constitution of Sri
Lanka grants the President the authority to appoint the chairman
and members of the following state institutions: The Election
Commission, The Public Service Commission, The National
Police Commission, The Human Rights Commission of Sri
Lanka, The Commission to Investigate Bribery and Corruption,
The Finance Commission, The Delimitation Commission. The
18th Amendment is available online at: http://www.priu.gov.lk/
Cons/1978Constitution/18th%20Amendment%20Act(E).pdf
220 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
Affective Responses
All interviewees suffered drastic and lasting emotional
effects because of the violence and discrimination
they had experienced. All but two interviewees said
that the violence had negatively impacted their men-
tal health. They reported experiencing depression,
anxiety, and emotions of anger, frustration and fear.
They often felt “extremely low” [Maya], “mentally
very down” [Roshmi], and “wanting to cry, wanting
to hammer the walls, frustrated” [Chandani]. Christy
said she often had “depressing attacks,” and would
take “whatever pills” the doctor prescribed for her
“and just be high sometimes” so as not to “feel the
reality.” Maya also said she “broke out in psychoso-
matic symptoms” chiefly eczema, as a “nervous reac-
tion” after she was forcibly “outed” to her parents.66
Twenty of those interviewed chose to hide their
sexual orientation for fear of rejection from
society, friends and family. A further 18 felt re-
signed to their fate, minimized the severity of the
violence, normalized the violence, or internalized
the violence. Almost two-thirds of the inter-
viewees blamed themselves for the violence they
had experienced. They felt self-hatred because of
their gender identity and sexual orientation and
engaged in self-harming behaviour like cutting or
skin-burning. Jenny stated, “Normally I do not
like to hit or scold anyone. So in order to con-
trol my sadness I do it, I cut myself and suffer in
order to get relief from my sad feelings.”67 Jenny
is 28 years old and grew up in the North Central
Province but currently lives in a suburb of
Colombo. She identifies as a “butch lesbian.”
Eleven interviewees said that they had thoughts
of committing suicide or had attempted suicide at
some stage in their lives as a coping mechanism.68
66 Interview with Maya, Women’s Support Group, Sri Lanka,
January 22, 2011; Interview with Roshmi, Women’s Support
Group, Sri Lanka, January 6, 2012; Interview with Chandani,
Women’s Support Group, Sri Lanka, November 17, 2010.
67 Interview with Jenny, Women’s Support Group, Sri Lanka, 2011.
68 A ccording to a 2011 WHO study, suicide rates in Sri Lanka are
the second highest in the world, in relation to both female and
Chamila stated, “I attempted it once because I
couldn’t take the pain anymore. I was very disap-
pointed with life and it took me a very long time
to get over it.”69 Another respondent, Skinner,
fantasized about perishing in a bus bomb blast.70
A smaller number (5) of the sample population
reported that substance abuse (alcohol, cigarettes
and drugs) and clubbing were coping mechanisms.
Roshmi said that when she was “severely mentally
down” in the past, she had smoked 15-20 packets
of cigarettes: “I used to chain smoke without
breathing. Then I got sick.”71
Discrimination in employment was also an aspect that
affected mental health. Skinner said he often felt very
depressed because employment opportunities were de-
nied him on the basis of his gender identity. He said,
“I just want to, you know, earn a living ... I mean like
I’m not asking for charity! It’s like I have this skill ...
and like, let me work and get paid for it - that’s all.”72
Disclosing their sexual orientation or gender
identity to friends (“coming out”) often made
interviewees feel rejected. DKS said she felt rejected
when “all of a sudden ... they kinda treated me as
if I was ... someone different … when I wasn’t …
I was the same person ... but somehow ... I don’t
know, they just refused to be associated with me.”73
male suicide rates. See “Suicide rates per 100,000 by country, year
and sex,” World Health Organization (2011), accessed October
11, 2012, http://www.who.int/mental_health/prevention/suicide_
rates/en/ Suicide is no longer a crime in Sri Lanka, although
there was rigorous punishment for it up to 1998. See “Suicide
Prevention: Emerging from Darkness,” World Health Organization
(2004), accessed October 11, 2012, http://www.searo.who.int/en/
Section1174/Section1199/Section1567/Section1824_8089.htm.
69 Interview with Chamila, Women’s Support Group, Sri Lanka,
August 8, 2011.
70 A reference to a period in the conflict between the Government of
Sri Lanka (GOSL) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE),
when the LTTE targeted civilians by bombing buses. Interview with
Skinner, Women’s Support Group, October 7, 2011.
71 Interview with Roshmi, Women’s Support Group, Sri Lanka,
January 6, 2012.
72 Interview with Skinner, Women’s Support Group, Sri Lanka,
October 7, 2011.
73 Interview with DKS, Women’s Support Group, Sri Lanka,
September 18, 2010.
Anu, a bisexual woman, said she felt very sad when a
friend was bi-phobic. She said, “I was very angry and
very frustrated, just not being able to understand
why this was done to people who were really just
trying to live their lives and love who they loved.”74
Thirty-one interviewees said that they often felt
depressed and guilty while they struggled to come
to terms with and accept their non-conforming
sexuality or gender identity. However, despite
enduring negative social and psychological effects,
the vast majority of interviewees spoke of posi-
tive feelings arising from the support of friends,
partners, family members, LGBT organizations,
religious leaders and workplace colleagues.
Dharshi, a 46-year-old woman who lives in
Colombo, detests labels, and prefers to say she
“sleeps with women.” She said that she could not
deal with her sexual orientation for a very long
time, “but then I met people who were cool about
it and slowly it became the cooler thing to me and
I was happy and comfortable.”75
Indrani, too, spoke to us about a similar experience.
She said:
Even though I don’t have people who un-
derstand me at home, I met friends who
understood me. They had parties. Everyone
spoke to me. No one laughed at me. No one
asked me why I don’t wear earrings. I was
very comfortable there. I don’t care what
society thinks about me. There are a lot of
people who accept me. So I felt good.76
It must be noted that although a number of
interviewees reported getting support from
different sources and feeling supported in many
ways, only a third of the population expressed
feelings of pride and strength in themselves.
74 Interview with Anu, Women’s Support Group, Sri Lanka, May
13, 2011.
75 Interview with Dharshi, Women’s Support Group, Sri Lanka,
October 30, 2010.
76 Interview with Indrani, Women’s Support Group, Sri Lanka,
April 28, 2011.
Sri Lanka: “Not Gonna Take It Lying Down” 221

Passive Responses
Most of the people we spoke to did not verbally
or physically fight back in response to violence,
discrimination or abuse. Twenty-five interviewees
avoided any form of confrontation, saying that
they had felt paralyzed and decided not to take
action during, and in the aftermath of, the
violence. Indrani said:
Once at the place I work, I had an ar-
gument with two boys. After that, while
I was having my lunch they shouted in
front of everybody and said, ‘Ah … today
the Aappa pan has been burned.” I stayed
silent as if it was not said to me.’77
Some interviewees practiced self-restraint, especially
with family and relatives. For instance, Skinner
said, “It’s better off that way [laughs] ... I try not to
think of those things most of the time and bottle it
up as much as possible ... what else ... to do ....”78
Our interviews also revealed that lesbians in partic-
ular avoided public spaces to steer clear of potential
homophobic violence and/or abuse directed at
them because of their sexual orientation, gender
identity or gender expression. Scholars have noted
that “Many places inhabited by lesbians and gay
men are “contested sites,” where the forces of
homophobia challenge the survival and formation
of communities of sexual minorities.”79
Anishka is 25 years old, lives in Colombo, and
identifies as “bi or lesbian but 80% lesbian.” Her
gender identity is feminine. She spoke to us about
how she and her partner would deliberately avoid
public spaces: “We are very conscious of where we
go ... we know our spots … the small little juice
77 Interview with Indrani, Women’s Support Group, Sri Lanka,
April 28, 2011.
78 Interview with Skinner, Women’s Support Group, Sri Lanka,
October 7, 2011.
79 Gordon Brent Ingram, Anne-Marie Bouthilette, Yolanda Retter,
Eds.,Queers in Space: Communities / Public Places / Sites of
Resistance, (Bay Press: USA, 1997).
222 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
bars, or we eat at home, we hang out at friends’
places. We don’t do public places.”80
Socio-economic background played a vital role
in determining how lesbians, bisexual women
and transgender people shielded themselves from
violence. The research found that if LBT people
had the finances they could afford to “buy safety”
by not exposing themselves to environments that
were unsafe. As Maya says, she will “pick and
choose places” she goes to. She said:
There are certain activities I’ve curtailed as
a result, certain parts of town I won’t go
to. I don’t walk on the streets, I go every-
where by car, I don’t take public transport,
not even trains, that kind of thing.81
Interviewees also had to safeguard their privacy at
their workplace as a way to minimize any potential
homophobic comments. Soma is 40 years old and
was born in Colombo but presently lives overseas
with her partner. She says her gender identity is
feminine and her sexual orientation is lesbian. At
the age 24, while she was living in Sri Lanka and
looking for a job, she felt she was discriminated on
the basis of her perceived sexual orientation, which
led to her changing her entire career. She said:
I think it affected my decision to not get into
a social support type of job or career that
required close proximity and building close
relationships with people. I think … that
maybe I felt safer working in areas where
my sexuality would not be used as an issue
by people to say, well, you know if you are
a lesbian you may take advantage of clients,
well female clients that sort of thing.82
80 Interview with Anishka, Women’s Support Group, Sri Lanka,
October 7, 2010.
81 Interview with Maya, Women’s Support Group, Sri Lanka,
January 22, 2011.
82 Interview with Soma, Women’s Support Group, Sri Lanka, 2011.

Active/Activist Responses
Responses in this category included leaving one’s
family, city, region or country; passing as “straight”
or adhering to normative gender roles; seeking sup-
port through LGBT community or groups; seeking
solace outside the home (e.g., playing sports, going
to the gym/library and spending time away from
home); and physically and verbally fighting back.83
Six interviewees said they had left, or expressed a de-
sire to leave, their family, city, or country, in response
to facing discrimination and violence. As Christy
pointed out, “It’s really hard to live my life. There are
times that I … just want to leave without a trace…
just leave the country sometimes or maybe just die.”84
Not all those who expressed a desire to leave were
able to do so for varying reasons, the most pressing
being lack of financial resources. Others stated that
they had left their parental home or their place of
residence as a result of familial violence or, in some
cases, due to violence and mistreatment from
landlords who viewed lesbianism as immoral.
Passing in different forms is an interesting and
useful strategy adopted by seven of the lesbian
and transgender interviewees in order to avoid
violence, abuse, and mistreatment in their daily
lives. Just as “masculine” clothing or style of
dressing made lesbian identity visible, it also
afforded safety in male-dominated public spaces.
For instance, one lesbian interviewee claimed
that, for reasons of safety, she preferred to pass as
a boy when riding her motorcycle at night.85
While some interviewees chose to “pass” by adhering
to normative gender roles (masculine, if born male/
feminine, if born female), others passed either in their
self-identified (trans)gender role or in their socially
83 The use of “passing” here means convincingly appearing in public as
conforming to norms related to gender and/or sexual orientation.
84 Interview with Christy, Women’s Support Group, Sri Lanka,
February 16, 2011.
85 Interview with Indrani, Women’s Support Group, Sri Lanka,
April 28, 2011.
“misrecognized” gender role (masculine, although
born female, and feminine, although born male).86
For instance, H stated that she often passed as a
boy due to being “misrecognized,” and that it was,
therefore, more convenient for her to continue as
such. She said:
Public toilets – every time you walk into
the bathroom, it’s like ‘Malli Malli weradila
anith eka’ (‘Younger brother, you’ve got it
wrong, it’s the other one’), and I’m like oh
God! And then I’m like, oh Shit! I went
into the wrong one, and I go to the guys’
one ... coz everyone thinks I’m a boy.87
For Maya, on the other hand, passing as a
feminine woman was a strategy she tried out for a
short period of time in order to avoid having to deal
with being stared at in public on a daily basis. Maya
is a 37-year-old, lesbian-identified androgynous
woman who lives in Sri Lanka. She said:
I changed my gender appearance, I grew
my hair out, I put on a bit of weight as well.
I looked much more feminine and at that
point, you wouldn’t believe it, I faded, no
one paid any attention to me at all. I could
go into banks you know, any institution,
whereas previously I would get so many
stares, [but this time] absolutely nothing.
So it was refreshing but at the same time I
felt really at odds with the person that I was
at the time. I felt that how I looked didn’t
86 Ruth Rubinstein (1995) notes that signs and symbols are
useful to analyse the language of clothing. She defines ‘signs’
as that which conveys a single, clear-cut meaning, in contrast
to “symbols” which have multiple meanings (p.7). Fashion
and clothing images can, therefore, be an effective means of
communication only if the signs and symbols are recognized
and interpreted by a knowing audience. Failure to do so would
result in misrepresentation or misinterpretation. For example in
Sri Lanka, a “butch lesbian” would only be identified as a “butch
lesbian” within a social space that recognized the style of clothing
associated with “being butch.” In contrast, in a rural village in Sri
Lanka, a “butch lesbian” would simply be (mis)recognized either
as a “boy” or a “girl pretending to be a boy.”
87 Interview with H, Women’s Support Group, Sri Lanka, February
12, 2011.
Sri Lanka: “Not Gonna Take It Lying Down” 223
 really reflect my subjectivity.88
Twenty interviewees reported that they had
actively sought solace or guidance from support
groups, individuals or institutions, either within
the queer or feminist community or movement.
As Maya has rightly pointed out:
It’s amazing, you know, these support groups
(referring to the Women’s Support Group),
you can have ten million activities, but really
just having the space and hanging out there
and having lunch, that’s support enough.89
Chandani explained that for many years she
actively sought support from her “chosen family”
(friends she relied on) as opposed to being
dependent on her biological family.90
Eleven of the interviewees said that their solace from
violence, abuse, and mistreatment came from
activities that gave some mental stimulus and could
be conducted outside the home, such as listening
to music, watching movies, and going to the library.
Others turned to more physically demanding activ-
ities, such as workouts in the gymnasium and jogging.
For most lesbians and transgender people inter-
viewed (22 out of 33), verbal resistance was the
most common form of fighting back and dealing
88 Interview with Maya, Women’s Support Group, Sri Lanka,
January 22, 2011.
89 Interview with Maya, Women’s Support Group, Sri Lanka,
January 22, 2011.
90 Interview with Chandani, Women’s Support Group, Sri Lanka,
November 17, 2010.
224 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
with discrimination and violence. These individuals
said that the only way to deal with emotional
harassment from parents was to fight back by
arguing whenever possible.
Thirty-six-year-old Hothead is a lesbian-identified
soft butch woman, living in Colombo. She said:
My mother wanted me to get married …
and then she kept proposing these friends’
sons as being the ideal husbands. And I
[said] … you know I think you better give
up because I don’t really fancy men … I
prefer women.91
A similar response emerged from Inoka, a
29-year-old who identifies as a butch lesbian and
is a Colombo resident. Describing how she had
responded to her mother’s questions after she
came out as a lesbian, she said:
Her first question went straight to the
… sex act … She was like ‘How do you
have sex with another woman?’… or
‘Have you had sex with another woman
for you to know that you’re gay?’… I said
... Well, did you have sex with a man to
know that you’re not?92
Christy, who spoke about being sexually harassed at
her workplace, said that the harassment stopped at
verbal abuse and did not escalate to physical abuse
because she confronted the perpetrator. She said:
I warned my CEO that if he tried to do
something that I’d definitely [go] to the
Labour Department. I told him that if he
tried to touch me I would slap him, and
that I would slap him in front of people.93
Naomi, 20, lives in Colombo with her parents, and
91 Interview with Hothead, Women’s Support Group, Sri Lanka,
September 18, 2010.
92 Interview with Inoka, Women’s Support Group, Sri Lanka,
October 14, 2010.
93 Interview with Christy, Women’s Support Group, Sri Lanka,
February 16, 2011.
does not like to use labels to describe her sense of
self. She said that she used the English language
as a tool to intimidate strangers who hurled verbal
abuse at her: “I spoke to him in English because I
know that always intimidates people and … after
a while, he shut up and went away.”94
LAWS AFFECTING LBT
PEOPLE IN SRI LANKA
Section 365A - Penal Code –
Gross Indecency
Section 365A of the Sri Lankan Penal Code
Amendment Act No. 22 of 1995 is used to crimi-
nalize adult consensual same-sex sexual relations.95
Prior to the 1995 amendment of the Sri Lankan
Penal Code, Section 365A was read as criminaliz-
ing sex between men only. In an ill-conceived bid
to make the provision gender neutral and non-dis-
criminatory, 365A was amended to read as “an act
committed between persons,” and this amendment
brought sex between women under its purview.96
“Gross indecency” is not defined, and it is unclear
whether the absence of a definition means that
94 Interview with Naomi, Women’s Support Group, Sri Lanka,
September 22, 2011.
95 It reads: “Any person who, in public or private commits, or is a
party to the commission of, or procures or attempts to procure
the commission by any person of, any act of gross indecency
with another person, shall be guilty of an offence, and shall be
punished with imprisonment of either description, for a term
which may extend to two years or with fine or with both and
where the offence is committed by a person over eighteen years
of age in respect of any person under sixteen years of age shall
be punished with rigorous imprisonment for a term not less
than ten years and not exceeding twenty years and with fine
and shall also be ordered to pay compensation of an amount
determined by court to the person in respect of whom the
offence was committed for the injuries caused to such person.”
96 Y . Tambiah, “ (Im)moral Citizens: Sexuality and the Penal
Code in Sri Lanka,” In A.J. Canagaratna (Ed.), Neelan
Tiruchelvam Commemoration Conference Papers (Colombo:
ICES, 2004), 107 – 141.
the provision could be read as also applying to
heterosexual sexual relations. In a social context
where political and other public leaders routinely
direct hostile remarks at LGBT communities, it
is likely that “gross indecency” is associated with
same-sex relations in the public imagination.
Though Section 365A has seldom been tested in
a court of law, the mere fact that such a vague
value-based provision is on the books makes
sexual minorities vulnerable to police abuse
and extortion from others, not only in their life
choices or sexual practices, but also in their
activism around sexual rights.97 There have also
been “instances where private citizens threatened
to use it against others, usually family members,
and roped in the agents of the law.”98
The criminalization of homosexual sexual activity
paves the way for police and anti-gay groups to
brand all lesbian, bisexual women, and transgender
people as “perverts” and criminals. The fear of being
apprehended and identified as non-heterosexual
leads to a cycle of silence involving LBT people,
their families, friends and the society as a whole.
This leaves LBT people vulnerable to a range of
human rights violations, including extortion, in-
timidation, unlawful arrest and detention, physical
and sexual harassment and bullying, torture, rape,
even murder on the basis of sexual orientation,
gender identity or gender expression by state and
non state actors, including private individuals.
97 “ Two men fined for gross indecency”, Daily Mirror, November
16, 2012, http://www.dailymirror.lk/news/23546-two-men-
fined-for-gross-indecency-.html “A Colombo Court today
imposed a fine of Rs.1,500 each on two men who pleaded
guilty to the charge of engaging in homosexual acts inside
a public lavatory at the Fort Railway Station. The Fort Police
arrested the two men, one aged 40 and the other 50, while
they were engaging in oral sex. One of them was identified as
a state institution employee. In the charge sheet filed before
Colombo Fort Magistrate Kanishka Wijeratne, the prosecutors
said the suspects had committed a punishable offence which
came under section 365 (A) of the Penal Code. Police charged
that the suspects had engaged in activities of gross indecency
at a public lavatory. Defence Counsel Jayantha Pathirana told
Court that his clients would plead guilty to the charges.”
98 Y . Tambiah, “Man-made Laws and Feminine Feelings: A ‘Lesbian’
Encounter with the Law in Sri Lanka,” Lines 2 (1), (May 2003)
Sri Lanka: “Not Gonna Take It Lying Down” 225

Section 399 – Penal Code - Cheating
by Personation
Section 399 of the Sri Lankan Penal Code,
“Cheating by Personation” is often used against
transgender people.99 There have been several cases
of “impersonation” and “misrepresentation” brought
to court, where women were discovered to be
“disguised” as men and their “true sexual identity”
exposed to the public. Similarly, transwomen have
also been arrested for “misleading the public.”100
Vagrancy Ordinance of 1842
Sri Lanka’s Vagrancy Ordinance of 1842 continues
to give authorities the power to detain people whom
they consider to be loitering in public.101 The police
99 It reads: “A person is said to ‘cheat by personation’ if he cheats
by pretending to be some other person or by knowingly
substituting one person for another, or representing that
he or any other person is a person other than he or such
other person really is. Explanation - the offence is committed
whether the individual personated is a real or imaginary
person. Whoever is convicted of this offence will have to face
a punishment of imprisonment of either description for a term
which may extend to three years, or with fine or with both.”
100 “ Boy Disguised as Girl since the age of 18,” Lankadeepa,
August 31, 2010; “Woman disguised as a Male Army Officer
married to a Woman following mobile phone love affair,”
Lankadeepa, August 23 2010; “Women Disguised as Men
(aka Tom Boys),,” Divaina, May 17, 2009; “Person who had
disguised himself as a man for 20 years becomes a woman at
the police station,” Lankadeepa, January 3, 2009; “16 year old
nomadic/ gypsy girl, disguised as a man, arrested as a suspect
for a murder case,” Lankadeepa, May 11, 2005; “Boy becomes
Girl at Dambulla Temple,” Lankadeepa, March 10, 2004;
“Female Corporal arrested on charges of giving fake ID to
male army officer disguised as a female army officer,” Sunday
Lankadeepa, January 18, 2003; “Case of Man Disguised as
Woman,” Sunday Lankadeepa, July 20, 2003.
101 It reads: Section 3 (1)(b) specifies that “every common
prostitute wandering in the public street or highway or
in any place of public resort and behaving in a riotous
manner or indecent manner ... shall be deemed an idle and
disorderly person and shall be liable upon first conviction to
be imprisoned with or without hard labour for any term not
exceeding 14 days or to a fine.” Sec 3(2) specifies that “such
a person can be arrested without a warrant.”
226 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
have the discretion to interpret mala fide of the “idle
person” to that of a vagrant and thereby enforce the
law. This often leads to a wrongful application and
misuse of the Vagrancy Ordinance, which results in
wrongful detention of non-heteronormative women,
transgender men and people from the nachchi102
community because they look different. The Va-
grancy Ordinance is especially used to target trans-
gender people of lower socio-economic status who
are the most vulnerable to police abuses.103 Their
manner of dress (different from their biological sex)
is often the basis for the assumption that they are
sex workers – the Vagrancy Ordinance justifies the
harassment, arrest and prosecution of sex workers.104
The law requires the police to present the alleged of-
fender (taken into custody without a warrant) before
a magistrate within 24 hours. In January 2013, the
Code of Criminal Procedure was amended to extend
this period to 48 hours. However, if the offender is
apprehended on a Friday, he or she could remain in
detention for over 48 hours, because magistrates do
not work over the weekend. Reports of victimization
and abuse have emerged in some cases when arrests
were made at night and the alleged offenders were
detained in police stations overnight.105
Fundamental Rights
The rights of the Sri Lankan citizen are spelled out
in Chapter 3 of the Sri Lanka Constitution.106 The
Constitution does not explicitly guarantee protection
on the grounds of sexual orientation, gender identity
102 The Sinhala term nachchi, is a category that is used by the nachchi
community who view themselves as male bodied persons who
“embraced female subjectivity but with no interest in abandoning
key facets of their ‘‘maleness,’’ and are also unwavering in their
ardent sexual desire for men” (Miller & Nichols, 2012: 555).
103 A Nichols, “Dance Ponnaya Dance,” Feminist Criminology April
2010, Volume 5, No.2, http://fcx.sagepub.com/content/5/2/195.
104 A Nichols, “Dance Ponnaya Dance,” Feminist Criminology April
2010, Volume 5, No.2, http://fcx.sagepub.com/content/5/2/195.
105 Ibid.
106 A rticle 12 of the same chapter spells out that no citizen shall be
discriminated against on the grounds of race, religion, language,
caste, sex, political opinion, place of birth or any such grounds.
or gender expression. It can be argued that these
guarantees would fall under provisions that address
non-discrimination and equality before the law to
all persons. The constitution also does not give any
indication that the term “sex” refers to anything
other than the system of biological classification
used to distinguish sex at birth as male or female.
However, the provision covering discrimination
prohibits distinctions made on “any such grounds”
which, to be compatible with international human
rights law, must be interpreted to include a
prohibition of discrimination on the grounds of
sexual orientation, gender identity and gender
expression. However this is not so in practice, given
the existence of a law that can be read to criminalize
same-sex sexual activity.
The Constitution’s lack of specific anti-discrimina-
tion language related to sexual orientation, gender
identity and gender expression has an immense
impact on sexual minorities, chiefly because it
places sexual minorities at a severe disadvantage in
accessing rights, protections and legal guarantees.
Section 17 of the Sri Lanka Constitution spells
out remedies that are available to a person whose
constitutionally guaranteed rights are infringed or
threatened with imminent infringement by execu-
tive or administrative action. The remedies granted
have included seeking redress through the courts,
receiving compensation or restitution, reinstitution
and promotions in employment. Many cases have
been filed with the courts, including the Supreme
Court, using the Fundamental Rights Application,
which is a grievance mechanism for Sri Lankans
wanting justice from the country’s highest court.
However, these remedies offered by the law were
infrequently accessed by individuals who expe-
rienced discrimination on the basis of sexual
orientation, gender identity or gender expression.
Sri Lanka’s National Human Rights Commission
investigates complaints of human rights violations
and thus is an important mechanism for pursuing
remedial action. However a scan of the Human
Rights Commission’s Act will reveal that the
enabling law restricts its scope of investigations
and inquiries to “fundamental rights” alone—in
short, to those human rights that are entrenched
in the Constitution and therefore justiciable.
This leaves out discrimination on the basis of
sexual orientation, gender identity and gender
expression, which contravenes Sri Lanka’s
commitment to respect, protect and fulfil all
human rights under international law.107 The
Human Rights Commission Act also empowers
the National Human Rights Commission to
make recommendations to the government on
measures to be taken to ensure that national laws
and administrative practices are in accordance with
international human rights norms and standards.108
However, there have been no known initiatives
taken by the Human Rights Commission towards
striking down the discriminatory laws that affect
lesbians, bisexual women, transgender people
and other sexual minorities.
International Treaties
Sri Lanka has ratified the major United Nations
human rights treaties and most optional
protocols.109 Sri Lanka has yet to amend any of
its national laws and policies and bring them
in line with international human rights law
with regard to protecting the rights of lesbians,
bisexual women, transgender people and other
sexual minorities.
107 Sri Lanka Atrophy and Subversion of the Human Rights
Commission, Law and Society Trust (2010), ANNI Report
on the Performance and Establishment of National Human
Rights Institutions in Asia, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
108 S ection 10 (d) Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka Act No.
21 of 1996
109 T he International Convention on the Elimination of All
Forms of Racial Discrimination; The International Covenant
on Economic Social and Cultural Rights; The International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; The Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women;
The Convention Against Torture and other Cruel Inhuman or
Degrading Treatment or Punishment; Convention on the Rights
of the Child; Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights
of the Child on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and
Child Pornography; and the International Convention on the
Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members
of Their Families.
Sri Lanka: “Not Gonna Take It Lying Down” 227
RECOMMENDATIONS
The government of Sri Lanka must:
• Implement the Concluding Observations of the CEDAW Committee, which were presented dur-
ing the review of the Sri Lankan government report in February 2011, following the 48th session of
the CEDAW Committee. In its Concluding Observations, the CEDAW Committee urges the Sri
Lankan government to “decriminalize sexual relationship between consenting adults of same sex, and
abide by the obligation of non-discrimination under the Convention.”
• Implement the Conclusions and Recommendations of the Report of the United Nations High Commissioner
for Human Rights on discriminatory laws and practices and acts of violence against individuals based on their
sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.
• Repeal Section 365A of the Penal Code which is read to criminalize consensual same-sex sexual rela-
tions between adults in public and private spaces.
• Take measures to prevent the Vagrancy Ordinance from being arbitrarily used against non-heteronorma-
tive women, transgender people and the nachchi community in Sri Lanka.
• Take measures to prevent the police from arbitrarily using Section 399 of the Penal Code (“Cheating by
Personation”) against transgender people.
• Amend Article 12 (2) of the Constitution which deals with non-discrimination so that it explicitly includes
sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression among the prohibited grounds for discrimination.
• Adopt measures to protect the right to privacy as a Constitutional guarantee. Privacy is not a
fundamental right in our constitution unlike other constitutions, such as in India. LGBT persons
are frequently being “outed” against their will and they have no remedies available to them. The
Internet fosters the violation of the right to privacy.110
• Encourage state and corporate sector employers to develop and implement uniform policies on
sexual harassment at the workplace to enshrine principles of non-discrimination, explicitly taking
into account harassment based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.
• Engage with organizations working with lesbians, bisexual women, transgender people and other sex-
ual minorities with a view to developing and implementing policies that are sensitive to issues faced
by lesbians, bisexual women and transgender people.
• Refer to the Yogyakarta Principles111 as a guide to assist in policy development.
• Provide resources to the National Human Rights Commission so it can effectively implement the
recommendations of the Asia Pacific Forum’s Advisory Council of Jurists on how to address violence,
discrimination and criminalization of LGBT people.
• Implement sex education in schools in accordance with the Guidelines for Comprehensive Sexuality
Education.

110 In addition, without a Constitutional right to privacy, the state adopts surveillance measures on the grounds of national security and uses
technology to intrude into private lives.

111 Yogyakarta Principles on the Application of International Human Rights Law in relation to Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity. (2007) The Yogyakarta
Principles are a set of principles relating to sexual orientation and gender identity and, intended to apply international human rights law standards to
address the abuse of the human rights of LBGT people and issues of intersexuality. The Principles were developed at a meeting of the International
Commission of Jurists, the International Service for Human Rights and human rights experts from around the world at Yogyakarta, Indonesia in 2006.

228 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
 Fernando, M. (2008) ‘Vagrant Voices’, Himal
REFERENCES South Asia, Vol. 21 (3), Available online at:
http://www.himalmag.com/Vagrant-voices_
Aizura, Aren, Jenny Walsh, Ash Pike, Roz Ward
nw2138.html
and Jak (2011) Gender Questioning: A Joint Project
of Trans Melbourne Gender Project, Gay and Lesbian
Gunasekara, Tisaranee (2013) The Muslims are
Health Victoria and Rainbow Network Victoria,
the new Tamils, Lanka Standard, 27 Jauary 2013,
Melbourne, Australia.
Colombo, Sri Lanka. Available online at: http://
www.lankastandard.com/2013/01/the-muslims-
Ada Derana (Truth First) March 2012 [online]
are-the-new-tamils/
Available from: http://www.adaderana.lk/news.
php?nid=17473&mode=beauti
Human Rights Watch (2011) Sri Lanka: Report
Fails to Advance Accountability, 16 December
BBC News (2012) Q & A Post War Sri Lanka, 13
2011, New York. Available online at: http://
November 2012. Available online at: http://www.
www.hrw.org/news/2011/12/16/sri-lanka-report-
bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-11393458
fails-advance-accountability
Bastians, Dharisha (2013) Bodhu Bala Sena
Human Rights Watch (2008) This Alien Legacy:
Wants Law Changed to Permit a Sinhalese Man
The Origins of “Sodomy” Laws in British Colonialism.
to Marry Five Wives to Propagate the Sinhala
www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/lgbt1208_
Race, 23 January 2013, www.dbsjeyaraj.com
webwcover.pdf.
Available online at: http://dbsjeyaraj.com/dbsj/
archives/15219
Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka Act No.
21 of 1996
Bellanvila Sudaththa Thero and Dunne, C. J.,
(2007) Homosexuality, Buddhism and Sri Lankan
Ingram, Gordon Brent, Anne-Marie Bouthilette,
Society, Groundviews 28 August 2007: Colombo
Yolanda Retter (Eds) (1997). Queers in Space:
[online] Available from: http://groundviews.
Communities / Public Places / Sites of Resistance,
org/2007/08/28/homosexuality-buddhism-and-s-
Bay Press, USA.
ri-lankan-society/
Law and Society Trust (2010) Sri Lanka At-
Bruce-Jones E., & Itaborahy L., (2011) State
rophy and Subversion of the Human Rights
Sponsored Homophobia: A World Survey of Laws
Commission, ANNI Report on the Perfor-
Criminalizing Same Sex Sexual Activity between
mance and Establishment of National Human
Consenting Adults, An ILGA Report, The Interna-
Rights Institutions in Asia, Law and Society
tional Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex
Trust: Colombo.
Organization.
Miller, J and Nichols, A (2012) Identity, sexuality
Colombage, Dinouk (2013) Bodu Bala Sena:
and commercial sex among Sri Lankan nachchi.
A Threat to Sri Lanka’s Future, Groundviews,
Sexualities, Special Section, 15 (5/6) pp.554 –
19 March 2013, Colombo, Sri Lanka. Available
569, Sage Publications, Available online at: DOI:
online at: http://groundviews.org/2013/03/19/
10.1177/1363460712446120
bodu-bala-sena-a-threat-to-sri-lankas-future/
Nichols, Andrea (2010) Dance Ponnaya, Dance!
Daily Mirror, Two men fined for gross indecency,
Police Abuses Against Transgender Sex Workers in
16 November 2012, Sri Lanka. Available online
Sri Lanka, Feminist Criminology 2010 5: 195, Sage
at: http://www.dailymirror.lk/news/23546-two-
Publications, Available online at: http://fcx.sagepub.
men-fined-for-gross-indecency-.html
com/content/5/2/195

Sri Lanka: “Not Gonna Take It Lying Down” 229

The Sunday Leader, “Don’t Abandon the Gay Men”,
6 June 2010.
Rubinstein, Ruth (1995) Dress Codes: Meanings
and Messages in American Culture. Boulder: West-
view Press.
Vagrants Ordinance No.20 of 1942
World Health Organization (2004) Suicide
Prevention: Emerging from Darkness, Available online
at: http://www.searo.who.int/en/Section1174/
Section1199/Section1567/Section1824_8089.htm

Raghavan, Suren (2013) Bodu Bala Sena
and Buddhism’s Militant Face in Sri Lanka,
Groundviews, 15 January 2013, Colombo Sri
Lanka. Available online at: http://groundviews.
org/2013/01/15/bodu-bala-sena-and-buddhisms-
militant-face-in-sri-lanka/
Section 10 (d) Human Rights Commission of Sri
Lanka Act No. 21 of 1996
Section 365A, Sri Lanka Penal Code (Amend-
ment) Act No.22 of 1995, 31 October 1995
Section 399, Cheating by Personation, Sri Lanka
Penal Code 1883
Tambiah, Y. (2004) (Im)moral Citizens: Sexuality
and the Penal Code in Sri Lanka. In A.J. Canagaratna
(Ed.), Neelan Tiruchelvam Commemoration
Conference Papers (pp. 107 – 141) Colombo, ICES
World Health Organization (2011) Suicide rates
per 100,000 by country, year and sex. [online]
Available from: http://www.who.int/mental_
health/prevention/suicide_rates/en/
(2012) Joint Statement by Sunila Abeysekara,
Nimalka Fernando and Pakiasothy Saravanamuttu,
23 March 2012, Colombo Sri Lanka. Available
online at: http://www.scribd.com/doc/86440203/
joint-statement-sunila-abeysekara-nimalka-fer-
nando-and-dr-paikiasothy-saravanamuttu
(2007) Yogyakarta Principles on the Application
of International Human Rights Law in relation to
Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity.

Tambiah, Y. (2003 May). Man-made Laws and

Feminine Feelings: A ‘Lesbian’ Encounter with
the Law in Sri Lanka, Lines, 2(1) 2003

US Department of State (2011) Human Rights

Report, Sri Lanka, Available online at: http://www.
state.gov/j/drl/rls/hrrpt/2011/sca/186475.htm
UNOHCHR (2013) Report of the Office of the
United Nations High Commissioner for Human
Rights on advice and technical assistance for
the Government of Sri Lanka on promoting
reconciliation and accountability in Sri Lanka,
Human Rights Council, 22nd Session, United
Nations General Assembly, 11 February 2013.
Available online at: http://www.ohchr.org/
Documents/HRBodies/HRCouncil/Regular-
Session/Session22/A-HRC-22-38_en.pdf 

230 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia

APPENDIX A:
TERMINOLOGY
When discussing issues relating to terminology,
it has been quite a challenge to use terms such
as “Sexual Orientation,” “Gender Identity,”
“Gender Expression” and “Heteronormativity” in
the vernacular (Sinhala and Tamil). For example,
the Sinhala form of “Heteronormativity” is a
sentence (ie: ‘Wishama Lingika Sammathayak’ )
as there is no single word to describe it.
Similarly, the formal term we used to describe
“Sexual Orientation” in Sinhala is “Lingika
Namburuwa.” However, this term had to be
abandoned very often during the interviews as not
many respondents were aware of its meaning. It
was more useful to avoid formal terms altogether
and simply ask respondents whether they pre-
ferred to have sexual and emotional relationships
with either women or men or both.
Gender Identity has been translated into Sinhala
as “Sthree Purusha Samajabhawaya matha padanam
wu ananyathawaya.” This formal definition
contrasted with the colloquial Sinhala of the
interview, and could not be used without some
explanation of its meaning. To explain, some
researchers asked the respondent to take herself as
an example and state whether she saw herself as a
girl or not while preferring non-feminine/boyish/
masculine clothing.
It has also been quite challenging to explore
non-heteronormative sexual and gender identities
within a non-western context, as in the case of
Sri Lanka. A good example is the identity of
the “transman.” Within a western context, a
transman is usually defined as an individual who
is biologically female and whose gender identity
and gender expression are masculine; while he
may/may not undergo surgery, he would carry
on with his life as a man. However in Sri Lanka,
although there have been a number of newspaper
reports of women being “disguised” as men112
or “impersonating” men, it is difficult to say
whether gender expression in each case is legible
as a trans-like gender identity. For instance, in
some cases that have been documented by the
WSG, the individual concerned said she/he
preferred to take on a male persona in order to
avoid the kinds of sexual harassment that women
face on a daily basis. An added complication is
that if such individuals live and “pass” on a daily
basis, questions about being biologically female
might put them at risk. Within the past year,
however, there has been an increase in awareness
on transgender issues, particularly amongst
medical professionals.
112 “Boy Disguised as Girl since the Age of 18,” Lankadeepa,
August 31, 2010; “Woman Disguised as a Male Army Officer
Married to a Woman Following Mobile Phone Love Affair,”
Lankadeepa, August 23 2010; “Women Disguised as Men
(aka Tom Boys),” Divaina, May 17, 2009; “Person who
had Disguised Himself as a Man for 20 Years Becomes
a Woman at the Police Station,” Lankadeepa, January
3, 2009; “16-year-old Nomadic/ Gypsy Girl, Disguised
as a Man, Arrested as a Suspect for a Murder Case,”
Lankadeepa, May 11, 2005; “Boy becomes Girl at Dambulla
Temple,” Lankadeepa, March 10, 2004; “Female Corporal
Arrested on Charges of Giving Fake ID to Male Army Officer
Disguised as a Female Army Officer,” Sunday Lankadeepa,
January 18, 2003; “Case of Man Disguised as Woman,”
Sunday Lankadeepa, July 20, 2003. Please see Appendix B
for more details of archived media reports.
Sri Lanka: “Not Gonna Take It Lying Down” 231
 Gender Identity: refers to each person’s deeply felt
APPENDIX B: internal and individual experience of gender, which
may or may not correspond with the sex assigned
GLOSSARY OF TERMS at birth, including the personal sense of the body
(which may involve, if freely chosen, modifica-
Aappa: slang (derogatory) for ‘lesbian’ in the
tion of bodily appearance or function by medical,
Sinhala language
surgical or other means) and other expressions of
gender, including dress, speech and mannerisms.
Bisexual: a person who is emotionally and/or
physically attracted to members of both the same
Gender Expression: refers to the external
and the opposite sex.
manifestation of one’s gender, usually expressed
through “masculine,” “feminine” or gender
Butch:  a masculine lesbian. Her masculinity could
variant dress, appearance, mannerisms, speech
be expressed through masculine mannerisms, male
patterns, and behaviour. Gender expression is
clothing and/or haircuts. She is very comfortable
not necessarily an indication of sexual orientation
with her female body and identity as a woman.
or gender identity.
Cisgender: a cisgender person is someone who
Heteronormativity: a view implying that all
identifies as the gender/sex they were assigned at
people fall into only one of two genders (i.e.,
birth. For example, if your birth certificate says
male or female), that there are particular roles
“female” and you identify as a “female woman,”
that men and women should follow, and that
you are a “cisgendered” person (as opposed to a
heterosexuality (i.e., attraction to the opposite
transgendered person).
sex/gender) is the only “normal” sexuality.
Femme: a feminine lesbian. Her femininity
Heterosexism: refers to the belief that heterosex-
may or may not be expressed through makeup,
uality is the only “normal” and legitimate expres-
high-heeled shoes and dresses. She could either
sion of sexual desire, intimacy and family life. It
be soft spoken, sweet and passive, or bold and
is institutionalized in societies around the world
aggressive. She is very comfortable with her
through laws, practices and cultural traditions.
female body and identity as a woman.
Heterosexual: a person who is sexually, emotionally,
Gay: A person who is emotionally and/or physically
and/or romantically attracted to the opposite sex.
attracted to members of the same sex. Although
all-encompassing, this term refers mainly to men.
Homosexual: a person who is sexually, emotion-
ally, and/or romantically attracted to the same sex.
Gender: is a socially constructed concept, or
social classification, of certain sets of behaviours,
Homophobia: irrational fear, hatred, or prejudice
character traits and roles as feminine or mascu-
towards homosexuals.
line. Though the specifics of what may constitute
feminine/female and masculine/male behaviours
Intersex: a person who is born with external
can vary across cultures, they uniformly impose a
genitalia, or internal reproductive systems that
set of restrictions and rules on how each man or
are determined to be neither exclusively male
woman should behave in all areas of life.
nor female. Intersex people often have biological
characteristics of both the male and female sexes.
Gender Binary: is the classification of sex and
Intersex variations describe a large variety of
gender into two separate categories of masculine
conditions where a body varies from the male or
and feminine. Most societies divide people into
female standard in areas such as chromosomes,
these two distinct categories, which exclude many
hormonal makeup and genitalia. Intersex varia-
people who don’t fit neatly into either category.
tions may be noticeable at birth or develop later

232 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
in life. The word “intersex” replaces “hermaph-
rodite,” which is generally considered impolite
and/or derogatory.
LGBTIQ: an acronym which stands for Lesbian,
Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, Questioning
and Queer. (Although more recently, with an
increasing number of identity categories and
labels this has expanded to LGBBHHTTQQI
to include Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Bi-curious,
Heterosexual, Homosexual, Transgender, Trans-
sexual, Queer, Questioning and Intersex).
Lesbian: a woman who is emotionally and/or
physically attracted to other women.
Non-Heteronormative Women / Men: is a term
used to describe women / men who choose to
live outside the heterosexist and heteronormative
framework.
Ponnaya: derogatory slang in the Sinhala lan-
guage, used to refer to a gay / effeminate man. It
also has “multilayered meanings, and is used as a
scornful characterization of men who have failed
to meet Sri Lanka’s hegemonic standards of mas-
culinity: a cuckolded husband, a man who fails to
provide for his family, a man who is effeminate,
a man whose sexual desire is for men” (Miller &
Nichols, 2012: 557).
Queer: a person who transgresses established
gender and/or sexual norms. Queer refers to
LGBTIs as well as heterosexual persons who live
outside heteronormative / heterosexist norms.
Sex: is the biological classification of bodies as
male or female. At birth, infants are assigned a sex
based on the socially constructed understanding
of a certain combination of biological character-
istics as representative of either male or female.
These characteristics include chromosomes, hor-
mones, internal reproductive organs and genitals.
Sexual Orientation: refers to each person’s
capacity for profound emotional, affectional and
sexual attraction to, and intimate and sexual
relations with, individuals of a different gender
or the same gender or more than one gender.
Transgender is an umbrella term for people
whose gender identity, expression or behaviour
is different from that typically associated with
their assigned sex at birth, including but not
limited to transsexuals, travestis, transvestites,
transgenderists, cross-dressers, and gender
non-conforming people. Transgender people
may be heterosexual, lesbian, gay or bisexual.
“Transgender,” as it is used in western societies,
has limited resonance in many other countries.
The term does not convey the multiple and
diverse expressions of gender identity or the in-
tersecting expressions of sexual desire, intimacy
and gender nonconformity. For example, Metis
in Nepal, like Zananas in Pakistan and Travesti
in Argentina are effeminate men who have not
surgically altered their bodies or transitioned
to being women. Hijra in India may or may
not be castrated and have sex with straight men
but not gay men. In many cultures, the terms
“third gender” or “other gender” are frequently
preferred over “transgender.” In Sri Lanka, the
Nachchi are “best characterized as both trans-
gender and homosexual: they embrace a femi-
nine gendered subjectivity, but with no interest
in abandoning key facets of their “maleness,”
and are also unwavering in their ardent sexual
desire for men” (Miller & Nichols, 2012: 555).
Trans*: (with the asterisk) is a term that is used
as an umbrella term to include all the identities
within the gender identities spectrum. This can
mean many experiences of sex and gender: trans,
transsexual, transgender, genderqueer.
Transgender Man (Female-to-Male/FTM):
refers to a person who identifies as male or
masculine, but was assigned the female sex at
birth and may or may not have been raised as
a girl. Also known as Transman, FTM or F2M
(female-to-male).
Transgender Woman (Male-to-Female/MTF):
refers to a person who identifies as female or
feminine, but was assigned the male sex at birth
and may or may not have been raised as a boy.
Also known as Transwoman, MTF or M2F
(male-to-female).
Sri Lanka: “Not Gonna Take It Lying Down” 233
Transphobia: prejudice against, and/or fear of
trans* people, or anyone thought to be trans*.
Transphobia can include violence, harassment
and discrimination as well as the general idea that
says everyone must fit into being male or female.
Transphobia can be built into the way things
work — for example being forced to use either a
male or female bathroom or having to continu-
ally tick “male” or “female” when filling in forms.
Homophobia works in the same way but is aimed
at anyone seen as being outside heterosexuality.
Transsexual: refers to a person whose gender
identity is different from their assigned sex at
birth. Often transsexual people alter or wish to
alter their bodies through hormones or surgery in
order to make it match their gender identity.
Transition: transitioning often consists of a
change in style of dress, selection of a new name,
and a request that people use the correct pronoun.
This may or may not include medical care like
hormone therapy, counselling and/or surgery.
Transvestite: a person, usually a man, who derives
pleasure from dressing in clothes usually worn by
the opposite sex. Transvestites, like anyone else,
may be gay, lesbian, bisexual, heterosexual, queer
or something else.
234 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
APPENDIX C:
METHODOLOGY
The WSG conducted qualitative interviews
with 33 LBT113 respondents, all of whom were
known to us through our organizational network.
Although we wished to have a wider outreach
for this study, it was quite difficult to do so, as a
number of LBT individuals outside the network
were not willing to be interviewed. In addition
to the interviews with LBT respondents, we also
interviewed 54 stakeholders.
Questionnaires were used during the interviews
with both LBT and stakeholder respondents.
While the LBT interviews were about two hours
in duration (on average), the stakeholder
interviews usually lasted for about an hour. The
language of interviews was either Sinhala or
English, depending on the participant’s language
proficiency. All Tamil respondents preferred to be
interviewed in English (there was provision for
interviews to be conducted in Tamil).
Prior to interviewing, each respondent was informed
of the aims and objectives of the research, and
then required to sign the Consent Form. In
addition to ensuring anonymity and confidentiality,
the Consent Form also emphasised the voluntary
nature of participation in the research project.
Respondents could decline to answer any question
and were also given the option of withdrawing
from the interview at any time before or during
the interview, without any explanation. They were
also given the option of recalling their interview
within three months of being interviewed. Two
respondents recalled their interviews within the
stipulated time period (reasons were not provided).
Some respondents said they may not be ideal
candidates for a research study on violence;
interestingly, though, it was revealed through
113 A lthough we use ‘LBT’ here, it must be noted that there were
some respondents who preferred not to identify as either
‘lesbian’, ‘bisexual’ or ‘trans’. Please see Section IV: Interviewee
Demographics for more details.
the interviews that they did have experiences of it would lessen my chances of finding a
violence on the basis of their sexual orientation. boyfriend. He also said that homosexuality
It was also a point of interest that a number of is something that is hidden in our society,
respondents found it uncomfortable to refer to and that we should not try to unearth this
their parents or family members as “perpetra- rubbish because it would only make things
tors,” even though they were the cause of their worse. He noted that for many cases of
emotional/psychological violence. divorce, they had cases where the husband
  was a gay man. In the end he agreed to be
Stakeholder interviews, conducted by two researchers, interviewed, but he wanted most of his
were often challenging. Both researchers had to views and attitudes to be off record.” 
face prejudice from potential participants who
were not too keen to be interviewed, or who had
anti-gay attitudes. In deciding who should inter- STAKEHOLDER CATEGORY: MEDICAL HEALTH
view stakeholders (many of whose attitudes on the
Researcher’s Location: Rural
subject were not known), we opted to be strategic
and not choose researchers whose appearance—in
“The doctor reprimanded me, espe-
combination with their research questions—could
cially because he knew my husband.
potentially provoke curiosity about their gender
He said he was very sad that his friend’s
or sexuality. Despite this strategy however, both
wife was doing such research. He also
researchers who conducted stakeholder interviews
said that western culture is destroy-
had faced inappropriate questions such as,
ing our culture by being brought into
our villages by this kind of research. I
“Are you being paid? If so, how much are
responded by saying that it [homosex-
you being paid to do this research?”
uality] happened in the past during the
ancient kingdoms. But he retorted by
“Which countries are funding this
saying that I would not know this as I
research?”
was not there during that time!”
“Why is it that you have long hair?”
 STAKEHOLDER CATEGORY: MEDICAL HEALTH
“Do you have a boyfriend?” Researcher’s Location: Rural
 
Both researchers were instructed to record their “This doctor had pointed out that many
experiences conducting interviews. We have children were sent for counselling by their
reproduced some excerpts from their field notes to parents and teachers if they demonstrated
illustrate stakeholders’ attitudes. any same-sex attraction. The counselling
would put them back on the correct path.
STAKEHOLDER CATEGORY: LAWYER Even though this doctor was theoretically
ok about homosexuality, he did not want
Researcher’s Location: Urban
to be supportive of it on record.”
“When he heard the name of the research,
he was very worried. He wanted to know
how I had got his name and number. He
said he did not want to be recorded. He
asked me if I had a boyfriend and when
I replied that I did not have one, he said
he was not surprised, implying that if I
continue to do research on such topics,

Sri Lanka: “Not Gonna Take It Lying Down” 235

PHOTO AND ARTWORK
CREDITS
COVER MALAYSIA CHAPTER
Front cover: Page 104 Photo Credit: Grace Poore

9
1
2 Page 109 Used with permission from KRYSS.
8
3
Artwork Credit: Rosie Marie, Violence
7 4
Is Not Our Culture, KRYSS, 2012
6 5
Page 129 Used with permission from KRYSS.
Photo Credits: Artwork Credit: Jellene Khoh, Violence
1. Grace Poore Is Not Our Culture, KRYSS, 2012
2. Courtesy of Ang LadLad
3. Theresa Thadani PAKISTAN CHAPTER
4. Grace Poore Page 146 Photo Credit: Theresa Thadani
5. Theresa Thadani
6. Jay, Women’s Support Group, Sri Lanka PHILIPPINES CHAPTER
7. Jay, Women’s Support Group, Sri Lanka Page 166 Photo Credit: Courtesy of Ang LadLad
8. Theresa Thadani
Page 177 Photo Credit: Rainbow Rights Project
9. Grace Poore
Page 185 Photo Credit: Still from “Courage
Unfolds” video, IGLHRC, 2011
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Page 1 Photo Credit: Theresa Thadani SRI LANKA CHAPTER
Page 200 Photo Credit: Jay Kuru Utumpala
Page 4 Photo Credits: Courtesy of the United
Nations, http://www.ohchr.org/ Page 203 Photo Credit: Megara Tegal

CROSS COUNTRY ANALYSIS Page 204 Icon Illustration Credits:

Buddha: Cass Reese, 2014
Page 10 Photo Credit: Grace Poore
Cross: Dan Christopher, 2012
JAPAN CHAPTER Page 224 Photo Credit: Megara Tegal
Page 72 Photo Credit: Theresa Thadani http://www.flickr.com/photos/
the_puppeteer/7988257472/
Page 79 Photo Credit: Theresa Thadani

236 VIOLENCE: Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Transgender People in Asia
Cover05072014RR.indd 4-5 5/7/14 10:18 PM
Lesbians, bisexual women, and trans people (LBTs) in Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan,
the Philippines, and Sri Lanka experience discrimination and exclusion in their
communities and homes, at school, at work, and in public spaces. Legal protections
and policy frameworks to address these issues are either non-existent or grossly
inadequate. The result is preventable suffering and human rights violations.

This is the conclusion of field research undertaken by non-governmental

and grassroots organizations working directly with LBT populations in 5 Asian
countries, in collaboration with the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights
Commission (IGLHRC), and laid out in this report. Researchers interviewed LBT
individuals as well as human rights activists, state officials, and other stakeholders,
and through these testimonies painted a picture of systemic abuse and state-
sponsored or condoned hostility. The researchers were themselves part of the
target populations, and were able to add their own insights about exclusion and
resistance to the analysis.

While sustained emotional violence took its toll, the individuals interviewed for this
report showed great resilience and creativity, often banding together to transcend
discrimination.

IGLHRC and its partners call on governments in the region to recognize the human
rights and dignity of everyone, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender
identity or expression.

This research is presented as a resource for LGBT organizations, national human

rights institutions, government officials, and anyone who cares about equality and
human rights.

INTERNATIONAL GAY AND LESBIAN

HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION

80, Maiden Lane

New York, NY 10038
USA
T: +1-212- 430-6054
E: iglhrc@iglhrc.org
www.iglhrc.org • facebook.com/IGLHRC • @iglhrc